


Transparency

by Skeli



Series: Out in the Open Series [2]
Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Action, Bisexual Male Character, F/F, F/M, Female Friendship, First Contact War, Interspecies Relationship(s), M/M, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, Survivor Guilt, and frank sinatra, graphic descriptions of attractive turians, inadvisable decisions concerning desks and lamps, mentions of human trafficking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-05-04 16:39:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 43,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14597223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skeli/pseuds/Skeli
Summary: Eight months after the First Contact War, Salome Haw is still trying to get her balance. She's got a job, an apartment, and a wedding to attend, but it's hard being the new species in the galaxy. Especially when someone is trying to kill you. But because she is really bad at prioritizing, that might be the least of her concerns.Relationships, new and old, feel far more lethal.





	1. Eyes on Your Back

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! I've writing this sequel on and off since January because school is my anathema! Anyway, this is going to be largely emotion/relationship based with little tidbits of action sprinkled in there. This mostly about Salome's interpersonal relationships and the struggle of human on the Citadel in the post-war era. Please note that if you haven't read the first part of this story, this won't make any sense. I'm thinking I'll update once a week.
> 
> Without further ado, please enjoy!

Chapter One------ Eyes on Your Back

"You know, you really shouldn't have even been on that ship, let alone be the one to get off of it."

The voice was familiar, even through the echoes that distorted its timbre.

Salome couldn't tell where she was. It was dark, black. She didn't know if she was standing or sitting, her legs felt as if they weren't hers. Her whole body seemed to be numb, like her nerves had to fight through a hazy fog just to fire and let her feel her own skin around her bones.

"That's probably why you let us die, right? Just weren't cut out for the hero work."

It's a man, she thought. A man she knows. Knew.

"I can't believe they call you a hero. What did you do that a thousand others wouldn't have done in your place? Is everyday human decency heroism, now? Is that what we've come to?"

Salome turned her head over her shoulder. Grey metal halls bathed in red light awaited her. She walked down the corridor, hearing her footsteps but not feeling her own weight balanced on her feet. She blinked, or she thought she might have, and he appeared ten feet in front of her.

Tiller, the nurse aboard the MacArthur. A spot of blood seeped through his standard issue jumpsuit right over his heart, growing wider and dripping.

"Oh, what a world, am I right?" he said.

He lifts his hand to make a fist in the fabric over his heart.

"Tragic, really. What a tragedy you turned out to be."

 

Salome didn't remember sitting up in her bed, but she must have. She stared down, hyper-focused at the plush green comforter that she held in a death grip, knuckles white.

How long had it been since she thought of Tiller? Too long, she supposed, feeling guilty. That was why he came to see her, because she let herself forget him. He deserved better. He wasn't cruel to her before. He was helpful and understanding, and he didn't deserve to left to rot with the MacArthur's hull. He was right to be angry.

The alarm clock on her bed side table read four-thirty in the morning. She didn't have to be at work until eight, and her supervisor told her she couldn't accumulate any more overtime for the month. It was the twelfth of March, and she stared at the wall of her bedroom until it was time to get ready for work.

By the time she made it to work, the dreary morning start seemed unreal. She felt fine, and nobody suspected otherwise. There was no need to commit it to memory, no need to breathe a word of it to anyone. They would just worry.

 

Salome would be late coming back from her lunch break if she stayed ten more minutes in the cozy cafe overlooking the water, but it was hard to tear herself away from the conversation. Just watching Alexander and Ed interact made her feel like she had her life together. They were fitted snuggly side-by-side in the plush upholstery of the cafe's booth, Alexander's arm was casually hung around Edgar's shoulder as they finished telling her about an arrest they had made over the weekend. Ed did most of the talking, as he always did, but Alexander did a great impression of the Krogan who had attempted to dive for mollusks in the Presidium lake that had Salome snorting her latte out of her nose.

"And you know the worst part?" Ed said."This isn't even the first time this has happened."

"They need to put some signs up or something," Alexander said before taking a sip of his coffee. 

"That would disturb the view of the lake for the more _prestigious_ citizens."

"I would personally organize a protest or something if it meant we didn't have to haul anymore Krogan out of anymore lakes," Alexander said. "This uniform shrinks, you know."

Alexander pulled at the button near his neck as if to loosen its grip on his throat, but it was all for show. Salome dared to say that Alexander looked handsome in his C-sec uniform. He had kept his beard and let his hair grow out into a floppy side part that made him look both roguish and put together. His blue eyes matched the navy of the fabric and his smiles came easier since he had moved to the Citadel. Alexander and Edgar had gone back to Earth for a couple of months after the end of the First Contact War. After Elliot's funeral and their retirement from the military, they returned to the Citadel and became some of the first humans to join Citadel Security. It seemed that they were doing well in their new line of work. There was some tension with the senior Turian staff but nothing ever resulted from it. Overall, both Ed and Alexander seemed to be quite content with their shared life together, and had grown close with Salome ever since they moved to the space station six months ago.

"So when's the wedding?" Salome gave an innocent smile.

The two men across from her gave their separate interpretations of the same exasperated look. It wasn't the first time she'd asked since they'd told her of their engagement, and even she had to admit that she might be pushing it. But weddings were exciting, and it had been a long time since Salome had been to something that was deeply and truly a happy occasion. Everything in the post-war era seemed to be tinged by gloom.

"Sal," Ed chuckled."When we figure out what the hell we want to do, you will be the first to know."

"We can't even agree on whose wedding party you'll be in," Alexander said.

Salome slammed her hands on the table.

"You mean you want me in the wedding?" she said.

"Of course, you idiot," Alexander said.

"When he calls you that it means he's emotional," Ed said.

Alexander looked taken aback.  Salome laid her face on the table and wept gently.

"I'm so honored, and happy, and grateful, and-"

"My God, she's doing it again. Ander, do something," Ed whispered.

"Think about photosynthesis, Haw. Let it calm you," Alexander said.

Salome could hear Ed smack him lightly on the shoulder. She was probably overreacting, but it really did mean a lot to her. Sometimes she wondered if she annoyed Ed and Alexander by asking them out so often, being a third wheel so to speak. Part of her knew she was being paranoid and insecure, but once the thought had occurred to her, it wouldn't leave. They wanted her in their wedding, though, so they must have been just as attached as she was.

 She never expected Alexander to be any sort of friend, but he was now someone she trusted and admired. She had only met Ed a little over a year ago, in a med bay with his arm recently blown off, but he was family as far as she was concerned. Memories of pressing gauze on the stump as blood soaked the sheets seemed like hazy nightmares from a different lifetime when she looked at him now, lively as ever with his sea-foam eyes shining softly. She lifted her head to their concerned faces, and tried to mop up her small puddle of tears with the sleeve of her cardigan.

"I'm sorry I'm a mess," she said.

Ed handed her a napkin.

"You're _our_ mess," he said.

"You'll make her cry again, Eddie," said Alexander.

"Too late," Salome blubbered.

Ed pulled out more napkins from the dispenser and handed them to her while Alexander attempted a soothing pat on the hand. Salome made a show of blowing her nose before giggling.

"Just kidding," she smiled. "I'll be an adult now and head off to work. Thanks for coming."

"Anytime," Ed said.

"Provided we aren't at the bottom of a lake," Alexander muttered.

Ed barked a laugh and exited the booth with his fiancé.  Salome waved goodbye and went on her way.

Salome tapped her omni-tool to check the time and her messages. Icarus hadn't responded to the good morning text she sent him yet. He usually responded promptly, not one to let anything pile up. She figured he was just busy. She had five minutes to get to her lab, and she heightened her pace to a easy jog to cross the Presidium.

Her heightened pace drew more attention to her than she liked. Two Asari walking by stopped chattering to each other as she came close, neither attempting to hide their curiosity. A Volus practically dove out of her way even though she gave him a wide berth on purpose.

The Hanar by the fountain always accosted her about the Enkindlers, and even though she never had any intention of joining organized religion, she was grateful they didn't treat her any differently from other passers-by.

She entered a building that was made for practicality rather than aesthetic. The Bangtesh Research Center stuck out like a sore thumb from the delicate, pristine architecture of the Presidium, but Salome found that to be fitting. The staff apparently had a reputation for being eccentric, and a few had been banned from some of the surrounding restaurants and cafes. Alien scientists partied hard, if rumor was to be believed.

Salome slid her badge across the scanner and walked in. She ambled down the hallway until she passed Urlu's section of the lab, which he shared with a few others.

"Hey, guess who," she said, poking her head in.

Urlu blinked at her, swirling a test tube in hand.

"I do not need to guess, Doctor Haw. I can see that it is you," he said.

"You take the romance out of everything."

"No romance, only mutually gratifying friendship. I may be obliged to buy you some chocolate, however, if you can give me something in exchange."

He smiled knowingly, and Salome glanced about the room pretending to be on the lookout for other people.

"I may have just what you need," she said slyly.

Salome typed on her omni-tool, and soon Urlu's pinged with a message. He pulled up the video she sent and his smile widened. Playing on his omni-tool screen was footage of her friend Nina's corgi bouncing around a grassy yard, slobbering and yapping. Urlu was obsessed with dogs in general, but Buttons the corgi was the queen of his heart.

"I expect the chocolate tomorrow before noon. Don't forget I know where you live," she said.

"I will not point out the inefficiency of giving out a service before receiving payment, and will have your gift on our next shift."

Salome walked over to the greenhouse section of the lab and entered her office. The air was warm and humid, probably not the best environment for the electronics on her desk but nothing was short circuiting yet. She picked up her data tablet before heading over to the hybrid yams she was cultivating. They were supposed to be more resilient against droughts to combat the dry season on Shanxi, and so far it was working. However, they didn't really taste like yams anymore, more like sauerkraut. Salome wasn't sure how she managed that.

There was a loud shout that rang from another room. Salome froze, shoulders drawn in to make herself look smaller. She managed not to crawl under the desk before her brain made the realization that it was one of her collogues, exclaiming something less than holy.

False alarm. Not the first time.

Her omni-tool pinged with an message from Marianne, asking to chat when Salome had free time. She replied that she would have time in an hour and set about watering her mutants. She let her head fall back as the watering can rained down on the plants to admire the morning sun shining through the glass roof.

Salome could almost imagine herself back on the RSV Mendel, floating effortlessly in the zero gravity garden with the stars dotting the darkness above her. The view of the night sky was never as clear as it had been in those days, the light pollution was too heavy on the Citadel. She liked her new life well enough, but that was something she missed sorely. It was one of the few memories of that time that remained untainted by loss or grief. The fact that it was a memory of her by herself, lost in darkness was something she chose not to think too deeply about.

 

There was a decided lack of sushi on the Citadel. This was not Salome's only complaint about life on the vast space station, but it was her most critical.

"I think I have some kind of imbalance," she said.

"From lack of sushi?" Marianne's voice said over the omnitool speaker.

"I can't function without the extra mercury."

"There's not supposed to be _any_ mercury in your body."

"Um, not sound like a total bitch, but which one of us is the biologist?"

"Neither of us, evidently."

Salome swiveled in her desk chair, spinning around on the hard floor of her office.

"I don't like to judge, but if I was expanding the human race out to a remote location we didn't know existed eight months ago, the first thing I'd do is put up a sushi joint," she said.

"Well, then it's a good thing- stop spinning, you're making me dizzy-then it's a good thing you only do night classes on manners."

"That's not all I do!"

"No, sometimes you let an over grown salamander run tests on you and call it friendship."

"Urlu _is_ my friend, even if we disagree on practically everything. He also doesn't have the morphology of a salamander, so I don't know where you got that from."

"I don't know, slime?"

Salome stopped spinning to glower at the translucent image of Marianne being projected from her forearm.

"He is not slimy," Salome said."Only slightly damp."

"Fine, defend the salamander. Just don't let him push you around."

"I have run a few experiments on Urlu as well, our working relationship is symbiotic."

"He held you prisoner, did you forget?"

"How could you think I have?"

There was a tense silence.

"I only want what's best for you, Sal. You're out there all by yourself," Marianne said.

"I'm not alone," Salome said."I have you and Vendall. Alexander and Ed. Iori, too. She calls when she can, you know. She doesn't owe it to me, but she still does it because she nice. There are nice people out here, Mari."

Marianne's image shifted as she leaned back in her chair. Her hair was down for once, and it made her look younger, less severe.

"I have no issue with the Matriarch. I've seen vids of her. Saint-like, really. It's the other two. One held you captive, the other was on the MacArthur. How can you separate it? Doesn't it wear on you?"

They held eye contact, trying to read between lines and send emotions through the thousands of light years that kept them apart.

"It's getting easier. The good replaces the bad. The cracks fill in," Salome said.

"I just- I don't want you to feel obligated to spend time with them if it's not in your best interest."

Salome wasn't sure what was in her best interest, emotionally speaking. She was living in a new age, and no one could have prepared for how different life would be after first contact. She felt she was adjusting to the new places and people just fine, but the lingering shadow of war complicated things further, especially in her friendships.

She knew that Urlu was flippant toward things she saw as nonnegotiable, but he did adjust himself for her. He didn't change, but he chose his words with care. That meant something, even if it was small. They both learned a lot from each other, and her life was dedicated to learning. Surely that arrangement was in her best interest, then, even if sometimes looking at him brought sent her back to a darker time.

Her friendship with Icarus was less concrete. She didn't necessarily gain anything from their infrequent meetings, but she admitted to herself that she preferred his company. He was somehow softer and yet more tangible. Even so, it was more awkward with him than with Urlu, the words didn't flow so easily. She felt there was some kind of a block between them. They also never spoke of their time of the MacArthur, or the shuttle, like they had wordlessly decided to let it stay in the past and collect dust. Salome had her questions about those times, about what he had been thinking and feeling, but she was afraid to cross the invisible line, break the unspoken pact.

She found it more than a little frustrating. He had said he wanted to know her, but he wasn't trying very hard to make that a reality.

"I know what I'm doing Mari, I need you to understand that," Salome said.

"I know I have no right to worry about you...you are your own person."

"You have every right, you're my friend. I just want you to know that you don't have a reason to."

A lock of Marianne's hair fell into her face. Salome's hand lifted instinctively to push it back but her fingers phased through her friend's likeness into open air. Marianne tucked the stray lock back behind her ear.

"I'll always worry about you. After everything that's happened, I feel like one day when I'm walking around getting groceries or something, I'll just get this feeling and know that you're not with me anymore."

"That won't happen."

"It already did."

Marianne was rarely emotional, but her eyes had begun to mist. Salome shut her eyes tight to stop herself from crying.

"Mari, I'm sorry I put you through that-"

"You didn't put me through that! They did!"

"And we put them through it, too!"

"Why can't you just let yourself be angry?"

Salome's jaw went rigid as she bit off the reply that was on the tip of her tongue, the one that had rested there for quite some time. She breathed in deeply and slowly through her nose and let her breath out in a big sigh.

"Anger isn't constructive," she said.

Marianne all but rolled her eyes.

"I don't think I'll ever understand you," Marianne said.

The words made Salome feel lonely, even as the sounds of her colleagues at work clattered through the walls.

"Well, I guess that's just my lot in life," Salome said.

"What does that-"

"I have to go now, Mari. Another time."

Salome shut off the video feed, immediately regretting how short she had been with Marianne. Resting her elbows on her knees, Salome shoved her face into her hands and fought off the emotions welling up in her chest. She couldn't quite put names to them, they roiled and mixed too much to be distinct. Maybe she wasn't trying hard enough. Maybe she was avoiding it altogether. She went back to work.

 

On her walk home, Salome ignored the eyes on her back. The curious, the confused, the critical. She pretended not to notice any of it. If they wanted to come up to her and ask intrusive questions or just to be able to say they met a human, they could. She would be civil, but she would not invite it on herself. She resented deep down that she had to be an example wherever she went. The other Citadel species gossiped as much as her own did, and there were many, many rumors floating around about what the stereotypical human was like. Loud, confrontational, rude, judgmental. The only word that had been spoken in a positive manner about her species was "squishy", which had actually creeped her out quite a bit when it was accompanied by the Batarian version of an eyebrow waggle.  It was one of the reasons she dreaded and actively avoided public transport, even if the private cabs down to the wards were starting to eat into her wallet.

She was contemplating taking the sky-train just to get herself out of the habit when her omni-tool buzzed with an incoming call. Salome felt her heart speed up thinking it might have been Marianne calling to hash things out. Marianne usually liked to be left alone and Salome would bide her time until she thought she might be ready to talk, but this time Salome was in no hurry. Marianne might have sensed that, as friends were wont to do, occasionally.

She peaked through one eye to look at the caller ID, and let out her breath. It was Iori. She answered.

"Hey, long time no see," Salome said.

"Yes, it's good to see you. So sorry I haven't been in touch lately," Iori said.

Salome made a dismissive noise.

"I know how busy you are, Ambassador to the Human Race,"

Iori smiled sheepishly, as if Salome had been teasing her.

"I have it easier than most ambassadors. More catching-up dinners, less avoiding the break out of a war."

"I wonder why?" Salome said sarcastically.

Iori's smile turned sly, blue eyes sparkling.

"I'm not saying anything _untoward_ about your politicians over an unsecure channel."

"No, no, of course not. But maybe you could tell me how many roses they've given you this week?"

"I won't accept such things. I know you're not fond of him, but Arluk and I are quite committed, thank you."

"Give me a number, Iori."

Salome avoided talking about Arluk, or specifically her dislike for him. The feeling was mutual, which should have made things hard on Iori, but somehow she accepted that her friend and her partner couldn't get along and didn't think poorly of either of them for it. Salome only prayed that one day she could be as at peace with the world as Iori was. She surely had the secrets of Nirvana locked away in her brilliant mind.

"How about I give you an invitation instead?" Iori said.

"It better be to a wine tasting festival," Salome said, hesitant.

"There can be wine."

"Iori."

"It's a meeting with the Primarch of Palivan and his associates. We were hoping to instigate some projects that would improve relations between Turians and humans."

Salome felt the burden of responsibility settle firmly on her shoulders and immediately tried to shake it from its perch.

"Why would the Primarch want to meet me?"

"Well, he didn't ask to meet you, per se-"

"I think-"

"But! You are considered something of a uniting force. You saved Sergeant Invictus, and you, ah, _spoke_ with Alliance Parliament in favor of a peace treaty. Councilor Tarvosh thinks you can be trusted."

"You know, I think I heard about that. Could you remind me about the full quote?"

Iori was silent, and Salome took the moment to tuck herself under an awning away from prying eyes and ears.

"Oh, yes. The Turian Councilor thinks I can be trusted 'as much as a human can be.' Really, Iori, how much help can I be?"

"Better than me by myself with Ambassador Goyle."

"You may find me charming, but you might be the only one in the galaxy who thinks so. I'm not gifted with your social graces."

"Maybe you don't know the pleasantries, or which fork goes with the salad, but you represent the best interests of the community as a whole, not just your own species. I know you care about all of us, Salome. Sincerity will go a long way to convincing the Primarch that this could work. We _need_ it to work."

Responsibility dug its way under her skin and took root. She resented it, but gave in.

"Alright, Iori. But there better be wine."

"I'll get you the best in the system."

"I also want a red carpet for my entrance, a personal assistant, a small dog to carry as a purse-"

"We have a budget, Salome," Iori laughed. "Meet me at Citadel Tower on Thursday at six. Come right up to my office so we can talk before it starts."

"What should I wear?"

Iori thought for a moment.

"What comes to mind when I say 'professional yet fancy?'"

"Sequined jumpsuit."

"Send me a picture before you leave the house."

Salome made no promises, and bid Iori goodbye. Her shoulders sagged and she let out a deep sigh. The meeting sounded like a headache and a heart attack rolled into one, and Salome hoped she would succumb to her wounds before she had to follow through on attending. It was the right thing to do, or so Iori thought, but she had her doubts and reservations. It had been eight months since the treaty, and Salome was looking forward to sinking back into obscurity at the close of the war. But there she was, letting herself be dragged back. She wondered if she had agreed for the greater good or if she just had no backbone. Marianne might have been more correct than Salome cared to admit. She really didn't know what was best for herself.

She could feel inquisitive eyes dig into her back, and wished for a moment that she could be transparent.

Stuffing her hands in her pockets, Salome stepped out of the awning and into the Presidium sun. She decided to take the private cab after all.


	2. Little Black Dress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I'd update weekly, but I wanted to get this out there faster because the first chapter has so much set up. Here's where things get more exciting.

Chapter Two----- Little Black Dress

At 2:23 AM, Salome was pacing her darkened bedroom. She was trying to tire herself out, hoping if she was sufficiently exhausted she might fall in to a dreamless sleep. She had tried other things to relax, but she always awoke at some point, at the behest of someone. She was never too tired to forget, it seemed. That was probably fitting, she figured. She had no right to.

She threw herself into the overly plush reading chair beside her bookshelf and began scouring the extranet for something to keep her attention. She wasn't in the mood for fiction, and the only reputable new sources were covering topics that she already spent too much time thinking about. Peace, politics, and protests. It seemed everyone on the Citadel was just a tireless as she was.

She opened her messages and re-read the ones Icarus had sent her at midnight.

_Sorry for the late reply, work was hectic today, good morning to you too._

_Or, goodnight._

_Yeah, goodnight is probably the right one now._

_I really hope I didn't wake you up just to read that._

_Please go back to sleep._

_If you want to, that is._

_Sorry._

Salome had read the slew of texts at least a dozen times since he sent them, and they still got a small laugh out of her. It would be even funnier if he wasn't how he acted around her all the time. She wished he could be comfortable with her, like friends were supposed to be. At the same time, though, his consideration for her sleep schedule and her autonomy were indicative of the man beneath the fretful exterior. He was a thoughtful person, a nice person. A good friend.

Hugging her knees to her chest, she rested her chin on her forearms. The light from her omni-tool glowed softly all night while fell in and out of sleep.

 

It had been a long while since Salome had worn a dress. She didn't have anything against them, but she couldn't deny that pants were easier to work in and most of her time was spent at work. She had to keep working, or she'd go crazy.

She had exactly one dress in her closet that seemed appropriate for the occasion, and it was hard to even look at it without feeling an ache in her chest.

_"You need to show more skin than that, Sal," Elliot had said._

_"It's a job interview, not a date," Salome replied." What happened to leaving a little to the imagination?"_

_Elliot took the red sweater dress out of Salome's hand and shoved it back on the rack._

_"Well, I think it would be nice if your employer knew that you_ had _skin. That dress covers everything but your face. It doesn't showcase your natural glow!"_

_"You don't even wear dresses."_

_"And I live vicariously through sad, dowdy souls like you. How about the black one?"_

Salome did end up picking the black one, and wore it to the interview for work on the Mendel. She was certain it hadn't been what got her the job, but Elliot had called it the Lucky Dress. Salome could have used some luck just then, maybe even a little divine intervention. Part of her wanted to fold the dress up and tuck it away, and the other argued that she might need to step out of her comfort zone and move on, even if it was a baby step. That latter part won out ever so slightly.

She donned the dress slowly, like dipping into a hot bath. Once the zipper was in place, she took steeling breathes before looking in her bedroom mirror.

_"There we go, now you look like the solid eight-point-five you are!"_

"Thanks," Salome muttered to a memory.

The dress came down to her knees, her shoulders bare with sleeves that went to her elbows. It made her look more her age, but also made her feel like someone else altogether. Someone classier who didn't laugh at dick jokes and eat cereal for breakfast, the kind with marshmallows.  It was likely a tad deceiving to people who didn't know her, and comical to the ones who did.

"Fuck it," she said.

She kept her hair down, but added a swipe of red lip stick because she thought Elliot might appreciate that. She looked a little like herself, and a little bit not like herself. It suited her mood well.

 

Iori had warned Salome that Virkis Sul, career politician from Palaven, was not receptive to humans. She did not, however, warn her that this aversion went so deep that he could scarcely tear himself away from glaring daggers into her and Ambassador Goyle from across the table. If Primarch Rinex noticed, he didn't say as much, and kept his attention on the presentation.

Professor David Exton of Cambridge gifted the meeting with his presence. He was an expert in much of the same things as Vendall, which made Salome wonder why he was attempting to negotiate foreign relations, but then she reminded herself that she was a biologist with no qualifications on the subject either.

"Eden Prime is the perfect starting point for our species' to begin the process of sharing knowledge," Professor Exton said in his standard English accent. "The Turians have settled more worlds than we have, and a selection of expert staff to provide advice would be beyond helpful. On the flip side, we have some engineers who could make your stealth class ships much more energy efficient. My colleagues and I think we can post-pone your refuel times by five whole days."

"That's an tempting exchange, but tensions are still high. Do you really think your colonizers are going to like having Turians around in their new paradise?" Sul said.

"Well, that's the entire point, isn't it? If there are misconceptions about the compatibility of our species', this is the time to set the record straight."

"Exton is correct," Rinex said."This is about moving forward."

Rinex didn't seem as though he believed his own words, but at least he was reining Sul in.

Eden Prime had been discovered three months prior, and was the undoubtedly the Earth Two Salome had set out to find another lifetime ago. She was almost bitter that she hadn't gotten the honor, but she also knew that she never would have. It was in an entirely different section of space than the one her crew had been searching in. She was destined to miss it no matter which way life pulled her.

"What do you think, Doctor Haw?" Exton asked.

"About which part?" she said.

"The Turians helping us settle Eden Prime. How do you propose we soften tensions?"

Wonderful. A nice, delicate topic for her to butcher.

"Well, I would think the first step is to find like minded individuals. Not everyone is going to be excited about working together, so the civil engineers and the Turian advisors colluding should be vetted for bias. If they have a good example of team work, the settlers will be more at ease."

"Excellent idea! I myself was going to propose seminars on each other's culture, completely voluntary of course. Don't you do that sort of things at the Academy, Doctor Haw?"

"Yes."

"How receptive are the cadets to training?"

"Most of them are just trying to pass, to be honest. Some are genuinely intrigued and interested, and a few like to make jokes and perpetuate stereotypes. It's a mixed bag."

"But they learn?"

God, I hope so, she thought.

"Yes, they learn."

"See? It can be done. I personally think knowledge and time are the cures to stigma. We give them the tools to understand each other, and in due time the walls will come down."

"These suggestion seem sound to me, and the arrangement would be mutually beneficial to both parties," Iori said."What are your thoughts Primarch? Ambassador?"

"I'm not sure the settlers would voluntarily take the culture classes," Goyle said."Why not make them mandatory?"

"That would create resentment," Exton said."Being forced to do anything upsets people, especially given the circumstances."

"How can we encourage participation?" Rinex asked.

"Perhaps if the teacher was something of a folk hero, enrollment would be higher," Exton said.

He shifted his chair so that he was facing Salome directly with knowing eyes.

"You're going to have to actually communicate here, buddy," Salome said.

Exton gave her a good natured laugh. Salome felt attacked. She knew what was coming.

"I think you should do it, Doctor Haw."

Salome took in a sharp breath.

"To some people I'm a traitor. Hardly a folk hero," Salome said.

"Pardon my French, but you had a damn good reason to do what you did," Exton said. "The cure for stigma is knowledge and time. Tell them why you did it, give them the information to come to a proper conclusion."

"Why _did_ you do it?" Sul said."I always have wondered. Savoir complex?"

Rinex glanced at Sul out of the corner of his eye, barely any movement to register, but it was enough to make Sul flinch.

Salome's fists were clenched in her lap, and she fought to open her mouth against the tension in her jaw. She had never explained it to anyone, Icarus himself had asked her but she didn't tell him the whole truth. Iori knew. Iori knew Salome in a way no one else ever would. She had been completely inside her head and Salome honestly thought that was the only way anyone else could ever understand her motives on that day.

"Exton, Sul," she said slowly."I prefer not to talk about those days. Please try to understand."

Exton's eye glazed over with pity, the corners of his mouth drooped. Sul wouldn't look at her. Iori said nothing because she didn't need to. They could talk another time. Primarch Rinex burrowed his gaze into her with intensity of an unknown origin. His hands were placed on the table, folded over each others in a tight grip.

"In any case," Salome said." I am not the best person for this job."

"I understand your hesitance," Rinex said." There are soldiers we lost in that war I can only bear think of, never talk about. My daughter... I know the obstacles. I also know what waits for us at the finish line. We, as a race, need this, Doctor Haw. Yours does as well."

As the Primarch spoke, Salome felt something inside her loosen in defeat. Eden Prime was an opportunity. An entirely new ecological system for her to study, and yet, she didn't want to go. She had a life on the Citadel. It wasn't perfect, but she had a good job and friends and wedding to attend in the near future. She didn't want to give it up, for it to be wrestled out from under her.

She was starting to feel that what she wanted for herself was a lost cause, and she might as well give her due diligence and do what was asked of her. But had she not already paid her penance? Hadn't she already given up enough of herself to the conflict? Why did everyone keep looking to _her_?

"Ah, how about we give Sa- Doctor Haw some time? It's a lot to ask of anybody," Iori said.

But she knew they weren't asking.

 

"I wasn't expecting Primarch Rinex to be so invested in this project," Iori said.

Iori busied herself with pouring Salome a drink from the decanter in her office. Salome had pressed herself against the large window in front of Iori's desk and was only half listening to what her companion was saying.

Iori handed Salome a glass of whiskey, which she took without looking away from the spot on the sidewalk she had attached her eyes to five minutes ago. Iori cleared her throat nervously.

"I suppose I should be pleased about that, but I know must be feeling somewhat trapped by Exton's suggestion."

"Exton's 'suggestion' is now what the Primarch expects of me," Salome said.

"I told them you would have to think about it."

"Think about how many suitcases to bring, maybe. They all want me to go. Well, Sul doesn't care, I guess."

Iori swirled her whiskey absent mindedly.

"Sul shouldn't even have been there," Iori scoffed."He got his position by being a patriot, but true patriotism is a sacrifice, not a flag to wave around."

"That might be the first mean thing I've heard you say about anyone."

"I don't like to judge people until I'm sure I know their character, even if the first impression comes off poorly."

"How many times have you met Sul?"

"Twice."

Salome's chuckle fogged up the glass. She used her pinky to draw a smiley face in the condensation.

"I didn't know they would ask you to go to Eden Prime," Iori said."I needed your levelheaded opinion, but I didn't think anyone would strong-arm you-"

"I know. I don't blame you."

They stood in silence for a bit. Salome knew it would only be a day or so until the Primarch had people sending her e-mails about the importance of the mission, maybe even gifts to flatter her. Exton would be worse. Salome could already tell by a certain twinkle in his eye that he wouldn't give up after a single instance of rejection. She could probably count on him paying her visit at some point.

Politically speaking, she had no choice. Even if the decision should be hers to make, it wasn't. Too much of her work at the lab was government sanctioned and funded for her to deny their requests. Any project she was on after refusing would be short-changed, and in the long run, she might not have job at the lab anymore.

"Settlement on Prime won't happen for another month. You'll have time to grow used to the idea if you accept."

"I'll accept," Salome said."But I'm gonna let them send me at least one gift basket first."

"That's the spirit," Iori smiled.

They clinked their tumblers together and drained them.

"Another?" Iori asked.

"Please, I want to forget what Virkis Sul even looks like."

Laughing, Iori took the glass from Salome and walked back over to the decanter. Salome's omnitool beeped with a message alert. It was from Vendall.

_I don't know what it is with this new generation and pointing at things before saying, "It  looks like Professor Vendall," but the next time someone says it to a trashcan I am revolting._

Salome let out a rushed exhale of a laugh and she typed a reply.

_How do physicists revolt? Please tell me, I'm asking for a friend._

Vendall had adjusted well to his role as a teacher, but a few hiccups were to be expected.

 Salome returned her gaze to the window. A bright glint of something reflective caught her eye. It came from the building across the street, a few stories above them, but in line with the spot Salome was standing in. Curious, she shaded her eyes with her hand and leaned a little closer. She couldn't tell what was causing the glare of light, but could just barely make out the silhouette of a person behind it. Only their head and shoulder were visible, and it occurred to Salome that they must have been laying on their stomach.

Sniper's position.

"Get down!" Salome screamed.

Her sudden outburst was enough to stop Iori in her tracks, drinks splashing, but not for her to drop to the floor. So Salome did what she'd do for any friend, and what she hoped her friends would do for her. She tackled her. Iori landed with a hard thud as the glass above them shattered to pieces and poured down like rain.

"By the Goddess, Sal-"

Salome rolled off of Iori and felt the broken glass crunch and scrape beneath her. The window stretched from floor to ceiling, and there was only a three foot space of wall on either side of it which could potentially be targeted if the sniper changed their position. They weren't safe in the office, they had to get out.

"Can you make a barrier?" Salome said.

"Not one strong enough to block a sniper rifle. "

"Get behind the wall!"

Salome and Iori crawled to the three foot space of wall by the window's edge. Another bullet lodged itself in the bookshelf just above Salome's head just before she made it to the small obstructed space, pressed tightly against Iori.

"This guy's a terrible shot," Salome said.

"I'm not complaining," Iori said.

"How long does it take the average sniper rifle to reload?" Salome asked.

"I'm sure that depends on the model," Iori said.

"Three seconds at least?"

"I haven't a clue."

"Well, that's how I'm playing it."

Salome took a couple of steeling breaths while she waited for the sniper to reload.

"When I say run, you get the hell out of here."

"I won't leave you."

"I'm not going to let myself be killed by a guy who can't even shoot a someone who is crawling over broken glass at five hundred feet away. I'm going to live to get that all-strings attached gift basket, and it had _better_ have scented hand lotion."

Salome sat up in a crouched position, aligning herself with Iori's desk and chair. She jumped before there was time for self-preservation to kick in. She landed solidly in front of the wheeled office chair, arms stretched out ahead of her. She grabbed hold of the chair leg and swiveled it in-between herself and the window and she army-crawled forward. Sure enough, the sniper tore a hole through the seat, missing Salome's shoulder by a hair.

The assailant didn't seem to be good at adjusting their aim once their target began moving, and Salome figured putting some obstacles in their way would produce the same effect.

"Run!"

Iori darted out from her hiding spot, heeled shoes left behind, and was out the door before Salome had even managed to gather herself under the desk. 

"Matriarch!" a voice shouted in the hall.

Salome guessed it was the Tower guards, but she didn't have the time to ask them for assistance. Instead, she braced her hands on the wood of the desk above her head and put all of her strength into flipping it over. It was heavy, probably whatever the Asari version of Brazilian Walnut was, and the sound of the crash it made was jarring. She wished the sniper had heard it because the surprise might have bought her a few extra seconds. However, the next bullet sailed through the wood on her right side, splinters flying.

Salome ran out of the room with her head ducked. She could practically feel an imaginary target on her back as she ran to the door, waiting for the inevitable pressure and pain of a bullet slicing through her, but it didn't happen. She made it out the door and into the hallway, where Iori was struggling against a few guards by the elevator.

"Salome! Thank goodness," Iori cried.

Iori pried herself free of the guards and ran over to her. Her eyes were misty and there was glass imbedded in the fabric of her dress, but she wasn't hurt.

"Alright, she made it, now let's _go_ ," one guard said.

"You're bleeding!" Iori said.

Salome grabbed Iori's elbow and lead her to the elevator.

"I'll be okay, let's get out of here," she said.

They crammed into the elevator with what had to be at least ten guards in riot gear.

"Do you know who's doing this?" Iori asked.

"No, ma'am," a guard answered "But you are currently the only target. The whole building is in lock down. We will be headed through the emergency exit on the first floor, a car is being secured."

"What about the other diplomats?" she said.

"They will stay in the building until cleared, but it will be safer for you to leave now."

"Salome is coming with me," she said.

"No," he said.

"There's a chance that she is the target. People knew she was coming," she said.

"That is highly unlikely."

"But we can't afford to take that risk," another guard said." On the off chance that Doctor Haw is the target keeping her with the other diplomats could endanger them. We should take them both."

The first guard was silent for a moment. The elevator arrived on the first floor.

"Fine," he said, and walked out.

Several other guards went out to secure the area while Salome and Iori stayed in the elevator.

"You can be so persuasive when you want to be," Salome said.

"Occupational hazard," Iori said."I told you I wouldn't leave you."

Salome smiled at her and squeezed her hand, which hurt far more than it should have. Upon inspection, there were bits of glass stuck in the skin of her palm.

"Your knees, too," Iori said.

Her knees were worse. Blood was actively dripping down her calves and dotting the elevator floor. She was in no danger of bleeding out, but it was quite a mess.

"Picked a damned great day to wear a dress, huh?" Salome said.

"I'm so sorry, Salome, this is all my fault."

"Don't you even start with me, young lady. This is not your fault, never will be, the end."

"It's clear, let's move," the guard said.

Flanked by the soldiers on all sides, Salome and Iori hurried to the back exit where a car was supposed to be waiting. Upon crossing the threshold to the outside, Salome could tell there was something very wrong. For one thing, there were two C-Sec officers laying on the ground, not moving. The supposed getaway car was flanked by two vans with chipping paint jobs, no driver behind the wheel.

"As a concerned citizen," a voice echoed from all around." I would have hoped the Citadel's finest would be smarter than this."

Salome scanned the premises for the person speaking, but couldn't find them. The voice was guttural and deep, but not in a pleasant way. Icarus' voice graveled and was far deeper than most human men, but Salome enjoyed listening to him talk, even though he was frustratingly concise. Something about the disembodied voice was cold, almost cruel. Salome shifted closer to Iori.

"But hell, this makes my job easier, so who cares?"

There was a sound of something cracking, and one the guards in front of Salome fell to the ground. Her helmet fractured into pieces, bits of plastic scattered the ground, and Asari purple blood pooled from her head.

"Sniper fire, return to the building!" a guard yelled.

Salome turned around to do as she was told, but the entrance was blocked by two humanoid figures descending on jetpacks, submachine guns pointed at them.

Within seconds they were surrounded by assailants. Salome counted fifteen. There were only nine guards. The numbers weren't in their favor, so they would have to proceed with caution.

"What do you want?" Salome said.

"That's a pointless question, you realize," the voice said again.

Above her, there was the sound of another jetpack closing in. The owner of the voice landed in the circle of guards, right in front of Salome. One of the Turian guards turned their gun on him, and was immediately shot in the shoulder. The blue blood speckled onto Salome's face and splattered the ground beside her.

"No sudden movements now," he said."Hate to waste ammo."

"What do you want?" Salome ground out.

She moved closer to Iori, trying to block the man's view of her. He had on full body armor and a helmet, with several knives and guns strapped to him in no particular order. His armor was mismatched, joints a little rusted.

"Knowing what I want changes nothing," he said.

He stepped forward, closing the small gap between them.

"And you didn't ask nicely."

He lifted his hand to reach out, and Salome promptly smacked it away.

"Don't touch her!" she screamed.

"Salome!" Iori said.

"Her?" the man said, incredulous." I suppose she wouldn't be too bad, but she's a Matriarch. Several hundred years old. Plenty of people have already been there, done that. "

Salome skin crawled. He stuck his hand out again and grabbed hold of Salome's face.

"You, on the other hand. We have something in common."

The black face shield of his helmet peeled back, and Salome could see that he had about eighteen eyes, a couple dozen nostrils, and a smile that made her want to bash his teeth in. A Batarian for sure, most likely a slaver, and, she speculated, a complete asshole.

"Our kind are only here for one hundred and fifty years, give or a take a few. And sure, we know how to have fun, but we're on a tight schedule. Not everyone gets a ride, if you know what I mean."

Salome could feel Iori pressing her arm into her stomach, trying to get Salome to stand behind her. She stood her ground, gritting her teeth as the man stroked her lips with his thumb.

"But most importantly, you're Salome fucking Haw. Living legend, believer in peace, oh-so- _good_. A pious little saint. People are going to pay a fortune to get the chance to-"

Before he could finish, the Batarian was launched ten feet up in the air by a blast of blue light. The guards barely had enough time to scramble out of the way before he came crashing down to the ground with a bone-shattering thud.

Over Salome's shoulder, Iori's arm was extended with a clenched fist, biotic energy shimmering around her like a halo.

"I'd pay a fortune to have you shut up," Iori said."But I think I'm just going to hit you."

On some unspoken cue, the guards began firing at the surrounding slavers. Iori pushed Salome to the ground and motioned for her to cover her head.

"Stay down, I'll handle this!" Iori said.

"But you said-"

"Not good at making barriers, very adept at breaking them."

And with that, Iori launched herself over the circle of guards and barreled toward the two assailants by the door. The force of her leap made Salome's hair swirl around her face and the loose gravel on the ground was flown backwards.

The first slaver she got to was shoved not just against the wall, but into it, spiral fracture cracks forming in the stone all around him. The second was thrown about thirty feet in the air, and was still falling as Iori motioned for Salome to come toward her.  She did as she was bid without a second thought. Salome would follow Iori anywhere, especially if she got to see her kick the snot out of people.  

Salome grabbed Iori's hand. She was practically flung back into the Citadel Tower while Iori maintained her position at the door.

"You better get in here, now!" Salome said.

"They're outnumbered. Leaving them is like signing their death certificates," Iori said.

"So you're going to sign your own? I don't think the more the merrier is the right attitude when it comes to fucking massacres!"

"I think they might appreciate the company," Iori said with a smile.

 The door was slammed shut as Iori went to join the fray. Salome struggled to keep herself on her feet.

She was so scared that she wanted to curl up into a ball and block out all her senses until it was over, but at the same time, she didn't want to know the outcome. She wanted to go back in time, alter reality, change fate. She couldn't lose another friend.  Not while the sounds of gunfire rang and there was blood on her face. Not like this, not again.

Her hands tugged at her the roots of her hair as she paced back and forth willing herself to think. She couldn't join the fight, she had no weapon and no will to kill. There was nothing she could do out there but get herself shot or kidnapped.

She could feel the blue blood on her face dry and begin to itch. The idea of someone's blood on her made her want to scream, but she held it in. The Turian who had been shot would need medical attention very soon if they hadn't already bled out. C-Sec should have been there already, she thought, but maybe her perception of time was skewed. The seconds felt like minutes but she still couldn't think of a way to help.

Then it dawned on her. They were under sniper fire, the head guard had said so, which meant the sniper had to have a perch. In order to have a good view of the area, they would have to be in the tower on an upper level, directly above the back entrance. Two guards had been hit before Salome made it inside, so removing the sniper from the equation might turn the tide of battle.

"But how?" Salome thought out loud.

She scanned the room for anything useful. On the reception desk there was a minimalist steel-grey desk lamp, tasteful yet chic.

"That'll do."

 

She took the stairs and, guesstimating the trajectory of the bullet that hit the Turian guard, decided to try the fourth floor first. Taking the stairs was the stealthy decision, but even after nearly a year, the sight of them made her queasy. Her footsteps were always too exact when she took the stairs, and she knew it was because she was trying not to slip on the imaginary blood she associated with the space. There had been so much blood.

The lamp in her hand swiveled on its base axis, sounding a small creak. Salome held it firmly with both hand, fighting the urge to shush it. She carefully opened the door to the fourth floor and stepped inside, guiding it to a soft close against its frame. She took a step forward and winced at the sharp click her shoes made on the tile. Soundlessly as possible, she slipped them off and continued onward, barefoot.

The noise of gun fire became more pronounced as she proceeded down the corridor. All the doors were closed except for one in the middle of the hall, through which the midday Presidium sun shone. She gripped her lamp tighter and took more wary, controlled steps. She reached the doorway and dared a peek into the room.

She had been expecting to find someone, but somehow her heart still hammered at the sight of the sniper laying on their stomach in full armor, sniper rifle pointed out the window. The desk that had occupied the space where he lay had been shoved unceremoniously against the wall.

 Her breath caught in her chest, and all her instincts were screaming at her to get out and run for it. She looked down at her feet, attempting to slow her breathing down and saw the black fabric of her dress riddled with miniscule pieces of glass with a small tear in the hem.

Seeing the dress in any state of ruin, however minute, made her seethe. It was akin to a personal slight. It was Elliot's dress, one of the few things she had left of her. Yes it was material, and yes it would one day fall to pieces all by itself, and yes it was not the most profound thing Elliot had left behind, but it was _her_ , and she was gone. Every bit that was lost was a bit that would never be replaced because she wasn't coming back to Salome. They couldn't make new memories or pick out a new dress. What she had then was all she'd ever have.

She couldn't let Iori be reduced to fading memories attached to decaying matter. She wouldn't.

Steeling her resolve, she tiptoed into the room. Her shadow was cast behind her, so she didn't have to worry about clueing the assailant in with anything other than sound. The ruckus of the skirmish below covered up any clumsiness in her footing, and soon she was standing at the slaver's feet.

Her stomach was tying itself in knots. The person was either Batarian or human judging from their silhouette. She noticed that they had a knife strapped to their waist, so the odds of coming out unscathed were slim. But she had to try.

She pounced on the assailant, her knees digging into their back. They swore as the rifle tipped upward and a single round fired off into the sky, missing it's intended target. Before they could turn their head, Salome struck their helmeted skull with the lamp, bulb shattering. She kept on hitting as the slaver struggled to stand, and she got the feeling she was being more of an annoyance than a threat.

The slaver's hand dropped to the knife on their belt, and Salome ceased her assault long enough to intercept. She managed to grab a thumb before it could get a grip on the hilt of the knife, and pulled it back. She felt a pop and heard a snap, and knew she had dislocated the digit even before the slaver called her all sorts of names.

Salome tore the knife off of the belt as the assailant summoned enough strength to stand, despite her weight. She toppled off her enemy harshly, but regained her equilibrium fast enough to throw the knife out of the window before the slaver crashed into her. A hand seized her throat and she was carried with her feet dangling off the ground for several feet until she was pinned against a wall. Her airway was snapped shut, unable to exhale or inhale. She clawed at the arm that held her up, surveying her opponent for weak points.

"You," the slaver said."You are a fucking idiot for coming back. Daijer is gonna give me a bonus for getting your ass in shackles."

The voice was masculine, which solved a lot of problems.

Bunching up her abdominal muscles, she swung both of her legs as hard as she could into the man's groin. His entire body clenched, and while he didn't let go, her feet could finally touch the floor and she was able to suck some oxygen back into her lungs.

"Don't skimp on the codpiece next time," Salome wheezed.

She slammed one forearm as hard as she could into the crook of his elbow. His arm bent, his grip relaxed, and Salome took the opportunity to grab his other thumb and dislocate it as well.

The slaver roared.

"Don't you have any other tricks?" He growled.

"Just one," Salome said as she kicked him in the groin again.

The man recoiled for all but a second. Salome got into a fighting stance, or what she imagined a fighting stance was, and braced herself to either withstand or dodge the inevitable attack. The slaver curled his fist and pulled back his arm, but before he could launch a punch, his body went completely rigid and seemed to seize. Over the sound of blood rushing in her ears, Salome heard a faint buzzing.

Her eyes were drawn to the doorway. There stood  a C-sec officer in Special Responses gear holding a taser.

"Back away from the target!" the officer shouted.

Salome curved around the slaver as he fell to the floor, still convulsing. The officer cleared the doorway so Salome could pass through. In the hall, she found another officer in full armor, with two pistol on his hips holding a submachine gun. Salome was sure the fight was over now. Special Responses was essentially S.W.A.T., the only worry on her mind was Iori's condition.

"Doctor Haw has been secured, Sergeant. Taking her down now," the officer said into his earpiece.

"Do you know anything about Iori?" Salome said.

"No such intel, Ma'am, they're still getting a hold of the situation out back."

That wouldn't do. She couldn't wait another moment.

Salome whipped around and ran back into the room, ignoring the officer's angry warning to stop. The officer inside the room was busy cuffing the sniper, and couldn't stop Salome from making it to the window.

Outside, bodies were strewn and a rainbow of different kinds of blood were mixing on the ground, seeping into the concrete. Some of the bodies were twitching or groaning, which gave Salome hope that the death toll wasn't as bad as it looked. Special Responses had formed a neat line of riot shields and mass effect barriers, and were picking strays out the air as they tried to escape via jetpack.

 Outside of the barrier was a single Turian officer slamming the lead slaver into the ground. The slaver attempted to unbalance the officer with a swift kick to the thigh. It didn't work, and he was suplexed onto his stomach, face in the dirt. His arm was bent uncomfortably behind his back, one stern push away from dislocating at the shoulder.

The Turian officer held the Batarian's arm firm and stomped one foot on his back to keep him down. The officer guided his freehand to his sidearm and pointed it toward the sky. The motion was so smooth that there was almost no time to actually aim, but the last of the would-be escapees dropped from the sky as their jetpack burst into flames. Salome didn't know much about guns, but she knew pistol weren't very accurate long range. These guys weren't messing around.

There was a flash of blue behind the Special Response line that caught Salome's eye. It was Iori, standing with the help of another Asari officer, breathing, alive.

Salome could feel someone tugging on her shoulders, and realized that the S.R. officer had been trying to get her away from the window for longer than she had been consciously aware of.

She let herself be led away and chastised, because in all honesty she did deserve it. She should probably feel bad that she made them worry, that she'd put herself in needless danger, but she was just happy Iori had made it out alright.

She and the officer took the elevator down to the first floor. As soon as the doors opened she darted out to look for Iori.

"You need to stop doing that," she heard the officer shout after her.

Salome turned past the reception desk toward the back entrance. C-Sec personnel were pouring through the door, a few supporting wounded guards as they stumbled on their own two legs.  Salome stood off to the side out of their way, and waited. After a moment, the last of the officers had filed in, and Iori was still nowhere to be seen. Confused, Salome looked around the room again, minor panic setting in.

"Salome."

 If it weren't for his voice, Salome wouldn't have recognized Icarus Invictus in his heavy armor. He emerged from the back door, re-holstering a pistol. The head slaver was in cuffs behind him being led by another officer.

"Icarus, it's you," she said, bewildered.

"Are you alright?" he called out.

Icarus pulled his helmet off as he walked briskly over to her. His beeline toward her was intercepted by the officer Salome had left behind in her dust at the elevator. At first, he seemed eager to get out of the conversation as fast as possible, glancing over to Salome and letting a deep concern settle in his brow plates when he saw her blood covered legs. However, something the man said suddenly got his attention, and he turned his focus back to him with a sharp twist of his head.

Salome shifted her weight impatiently from one foot to the other, waiting for him to finish. Icarus was one of the higher ranking Special Responses officers and had his own small squad, so he was probably in tune to all the interwoven strings of the situation. He would probably know what happened to Iori, if he would just stop talking to the officer...

"She did what?" Icarus boomed.

Salome practically turned to stone. Icarus _never_ yelled. She frequently forgot how capable he was in a fight, that his job centered around him getting into fights, because he had all of the presence of a meek, aging nun. But there he was, shoulders taught, head pulled back in what she could only describe as an I-can't-fucking-believe-this look.

His piercing eyes honed in on her. She really did love his eyes, and did not appreciate them being used against her. Her instinctive response to an uncomfortable situation was to say something sarcastic, but for once she just shut up.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are deeply appreciated. I've had a shitty week.


	3. Best Laid Plans

Chapter 3------- Best Laid Plans

There were a few things Salome Haw knew for a fact about Icarus Invictus. He was thirty-four years old, making them the same age. He had two older brothers, who behaved about as well as could be expected of older brothers. He liked routine, cherished it even. He was positively terrified of doing anything to upset her, and was never the one to make plans between them for fear of overstepping. He preferred to listen rather than talk, and because of the scarcity of his personal comments, Salome committed all of the small things he did and said to memory. Otherwise, she feared she wouldn't know him at all.  

Some new little tidbits she could add to her list was that he:

         A) could give the universe's most chilling death stare.

         B) was very adept at giving the silent treatment.

At the time she was etching those two observations into her mind, she was squished between Icarus and the cool steel hull of a Special Responses armored van, riding to the hospital. Salome had refused an ambulance, which may have been what triggered Icarus to stonewall her. He had been taking to her before then. Well, scolding with a dash of worry. But at least they had been communicating.

She managed to get him to tell her that Iori was alright before he shutdown on her. She would have liked to know where she had gone, but a cautious look to her left let her know that he would rather try to melt a hole in the floor with his stare than speak a word to her at the moment. 

She wasn't good at dealing with angry people. She was a good shoulder to cry on, an excellent wingman, and skilled at diffusing an awkward situation, but when faced with anger she went on the offensive. She had no time to deal with hissy fits, or rather, the patience. Her early relationship with Alexander proved as much.

 

_Icarus had marched over to her. Actually marched, with purposeful, swift movements. Salome let her eyes trace the perimeter of the room for exits. The reptilian part of her brain was trying to shift all her thought processes over to self-preservation, but she suppressed a strong urge to flee as he drew closer._

_For a second, she thought he might actually dare to breech her personal bubble, but true to his character he stopped a good two feet away. He made up for the distance with the sheer amount of dark energy flowing off of his form._

_"Hey, Icarus. My best bud Icarus, who is said to be sweet and kind by all who know him," Salome said._

_She didn't know why she thought that would appease him. It didn't._

_"Stop stalling," he said._

_"What is this 'stalling' you speak of?"_

_"Spirits, you can be so...listen," Icarus let out a long, withering sigh."Dionu says you were trying to take out a trained mercenary with your bare hands. Just tell me it's not true."_

_"How about I tell you about the time Ed and Ander pulled a Krogan out of the Presidium lake?"_

_Icarus stooped lower to be more on her eye-level, which made the intensity of his gaze about  ten-thousand and nine times worse, but that was just an estimation._

_"How about I tell you that you can't hope to take on an experienced murderer when you don't know how to fight," he began."And that if my squad had come just a minute later you could be dead."_

_Salome wondered if he would be less angry if she told him she'd brought a lamp to fight with, but then she realized she had brought a_ lamp _to fight with and decided to forgo that small detail._

_"I couldn't just stand there!" Salome said."They were outnumbered, Iori had no armor, I thought-"_

_"The Matriarch is a biotic who has had six-hundred years to master her abilities. You were in way over your head. How do you think the Matriarch would have felt if you had died doing something completely ill-advised while she was doing her best to save you?"_

 

Salome didn't like to think of arguments as battles, but she definitely lost that one. She narrowed her eyes at Dionu, the officer who had ratted her out, but couldn't put too much ill-will into it because he had saved her life. Dionu, for his part, returned her gaze with an indifference so palpable it felt like an attack.

"Is this the longest car-ride in the history of man-kind?" Salome grumbled to herself.

"You know what's good at cutting through traffic?" Icarus asked.

"Oh, good God," Salome pressed her face into her hands.

"An ambulance," Icarus said.

"It's just a few scratches!"

"With glass imbedded in them."

"Nothing some tweezers can't fix."

Icarus looked at her in horror.

"You can't be thinking of treating that yourself?"

"Why not? I'm a doctor."

"Not that kind of doctor!"

Everyone in the van stiffened at the sound of Icarus raising his voice. It gave Salome the impression that he was always a quiet guy, no matter who he was with.

"We are going to the hospital. It's on the way back to C-Sec, so don't think you can get out of it."

"Fine."

"Great."

"Fantastic."

"Superb."

"Stop," Dionu said.

 

After the thirteenth shard of glass was yanked from her skin, Salome was certain Icarus would never let her out of his sight again. He insisted on staying while she was treated since he was under the impression she would simply leave if not monitored. He was right, but she'd never tell him that.

She was sitting on a metal table in small white room, still in her dress. Icarus stood as close as he could without getting in the doctor's way, arms crossed.

"Fourteen," the doctor said, placing the fragment in a metal bowl."How'd this happen anyway?"

Icarus and the doctor looked very intently at her for an explanation. Salome wasn't sure how much of the situation Icarus was aware of, but if he didn't already know that she willingly put herself in the line of fire to get Iori out of her office, he would burst a vessel when he found out. The doctor was blissfully ignorant of how pissed the man standing next to him was, and Salome resolved to keep it that way.

"Had to crawl on my knees to keep out of sight, there was glass everywhere" she said.

The doctor shook his head somberly.

"What a mess," he muttered."Oh, look at that. Fifteen."

The sound that shard made when it hit the bowl might as well have been the loudest noise ever to have graced the known universe. Salome winced, Icarus' bicep twitched, the doctor whistled a cheerful tune.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in, we're all decent," the doctor chuckled.

A female Salarian poked her head into the room.

"Doctor Salome Marie Haw?"

"Yes?"

"Some things about your care we would like to discuss. Could be private information. Now a good time?"

The Salarian glanced at Icarus. Salome didn't much care if he stayed or went, but he moved to leave before she said anything.

"I'll be outside," Icarus said.

When the door was shut, the Salarian began reading off her clip board.

"My name is Nuvi, I plan patient care. After Doctor Yunan finishes you are free to go, but something about your chart concerns me."

"What is it?"

"You survived a massacre aboard the MacArthur during your time as an Alliance officer, but you never saw a psychological councilor. Does not say if you were offered one. Were you?"

"Ah, no. Probably because I was never admitted to the hospital," Salome said.

She hadn't needed to be. All the bruises and cuts she got while trying to survive the Turian infiltration had healed during her confinement as Urlu's subject. The only time she'd set foot in the hospital was to see Alexander and Ed after their prosthetic limb attachments, and no one had spoken to her then.

"Since you are no longer military, cannot force you. But option is there if wanted. Should I schedule something?"

Salome felt her chest get tighter, and willed her muscles to relax so Nuvi couldn't tell there was anything amiss. Just hearing the word "MacArthur" made her feel hollow, she tried not to think about it. She had been trying much harder in recent times not to appear as crazy as she felt. She could get away with being odd, everyone knew her as odd. But she didn't want to be called crazy, because it was another word for broken. It would be demeaning, disheartening, akin to losing the battle for normalcy she waged with herself and the world she'd fallen into.

She just wanted to be normal.

Something in her was screaming, but she couldn't tell what it was saying. She didn't dare listen closer. She had an feeling of inevitability, and the notion that if she didn't get out of the room as fast as possible, something drastic would change in her life.

"Nope, I'm fine," she said with a friendly smile.

As soon as she uttered what was most likely a lie, Nuvi's moved her eyes from her clipboard to Salome, almost like she could tell _._

"Leaving you a number to call, just in case," Nuvi said.

 

Salome walked out of the room, knees bandaged and a business card in hand. Icarus was waiting, just like he said he'd be.

"Do you want to go home for a bit before you give your statement?" he asked.

"No, let's get this over with."

Salome marched past him, keeping her face neutral but closed off. She didn't want to talk to him. She didn't want to talk to the detectives. She didn't want to go Eden Prime, and she didn't want to be a target for a slaver's ring. She didn't want make up with Marianne by admitting that she was wrong and that she might be in over her head, and she didn't want to go to sleep that night because she knew that someone would be waiting for her, to tell her why she wasn't enough. Why she could never be enough.

She wanted to be by herself, lost in darkness, weightless. Nothing.

 

In hindsight, she should have expected it. Combine an attempted assassination on a high profile politician with the thwarted kidnapping of a somewhat notable public figure, and the big guns at C-Sec were likely to get themselves involved.

Which was how Salome found herself sitting opposite to Castis Vakarian, buzz-kill extraordinaire. His face was just as unreadable as it always was, but she could detect a hint of irritation in his aura. She was known to have that effect on people.

"Have you received any threats that suggested you would be the target of an attack like this?"

"No," Salome inspected her nails." Just the garden variety 'you're a disgrace to the human race yadda yadda.' The usual."

The pen in Vakarian's hand was pushed a tad too forcefully into the document he was filling out.

"Do you really get such correspondents?"

" 'Correspondents' suggest that I can reply. They leave the letters on the front door to my apartment building. Management won't let me check the cameras. If I knew who they were I'd sign them up for Fornax subscriptions have them mailed _accidentally_ to their mothers."

"I hope I never cross you," he said.

Salome tore her eyes away from her hand and raised one eyebrow.

"Was that a joke?"

"Back to the matter at hand," he said dismissively."You have no idea who tried to abduct you, or why?"

Leaning back her seat, Salome crossed her arms at looked at the edge of the table to avoid Vakarian's eyes.

"I don't know who they are, but I can hazard a guess what they wanted with me. The leader was very talkative, explicit even."

She hoped he would read between the lines and pick up on what she was suggesting without having to say it out loud.

"Go on."

Salome's fingers dug into her bicep.

"They wanted to, you know...You do know, you're not an idiot. Do you just need me to say it?"

"Yes, I need to know how much you're aware of," he said."Would you prefer to write it down?"

 How thoughtful.

"My guess is human trafficking. I was gonna be somebody's pet, or whatever."

Vakarian scribbled on the paper for a moment or two before nodding at her.

"The leader you spoke to is Daijer Omok, a Batarian from Omega. Three human women have gone missing off the Citadel since his legal immigration here. You need to be careful from now on about who you associate with. He had no previous record according to Customs."

"I doubt that, and you do too if you have half a brain," Salome said."Customs got paid off."

"I won't entertain your suspicions."

"You don't need to."

Vakarian let his eyes rest on her for the first time since he started writing. She used to think he was intimidating, maybe even scary. In that moment, he looked an awful lot like tired and a few years too young to retire even though that might be what was best for him. They exchanged looks for a moment. It felt like they'd reached some kind of understanding. He was good at giving people the run around, but giving her a poker face wasn't enough to stop her from reading the situation. He didn't need to tell her a thing, and he knew it.

"I trust you won't do anything stupid based on an assumption," he said.

"Do you? Well, given my track record, that would be a terrible mistake."

"Doctor Haw..."

"Yes?" Salome batted her eyelashes.

Vakarian sighed again and set his pen down. He leaned against the table, settling his weight on his forearms. Salome mirrored his movements, smiling innocently.  

"Let's move on, shall we?"

 

Detective Vakarian was relentless in his search for even the smallest of clues. The entire statement took three hours, and his overall demeanor made it feel more like an interrogation. If he had gained any leads from learning which lab assistants took out the trash on Tuesdays, he didn't say as much.

Stepping out of the interview room, Salome stretched her arms out in front of her and yawned loudly. It had been a long day, she wanted a shower and a big bowl of ice cream. Maybe she could get a couple hours of decent sleep before her rest was inevitably interrupted.

Salome twisted her neck left and right to work out the kinks in her muscles as she walked down the hall to the lobby. There was a loud chatter coming from one of the detective's offices a little ways down the hall. She could tell from the mixture of voices that there were a lot of people crammed into the room, and she found herself curious. She decided to slow down just as she passed the open door to peak in on the action. She hoped she might be able to see something that could lead her to whoever was trying to sell her off to the highest bidder, like one of those crime walls with string connecting photos.

Should she be meddling in police work? No. Was she going to? Hell yes. This was personal, not just because they were after her, but because they had gotten Iori caught in the crossfire. No one was going to get away with that.

She shifted her gaze to the corners of her eyes when she reached the office doorway. There were at least ten people huddle around the computer screen on a desk, which had been swiveled around to give them a better view.

"What the hell is she doing?" an Asari said, amused.

"Something stupid."

Salome froze as she realized she was completely and irrevocably screwed. The video on the monitor was the footage of her throwing herself in front of sniper fire to get Iori out of the her office. The man who commented on the insanity of trying to stop a high-powered gun shot with a wooden desk was Ander Alexander, who had seen Salome do a lifetime of crazy things in the space of a single day and was quite over her antics. Standing next to him was Ed, looking extremely concerned even though he was by far the more easy-going of the two. And standing next to Ed was Icarus, whose soul had long left his body along with any faith that Salome was a responsible adult. And standing all around the three of them were trained police officers who looked on at the screen with reactions varying from entertained to appalled.

Her heeled shoes made a loud clack on the tile as she came to a halt. The entirety of the room's occupants turned their heads in unison before becoming deathly still. No one said anything.

Salome decided to keep walking.

"Get back here," Alexander growled.

She walked faster.

 

"So," Ed began, sliding a cup of coffee across the table.

Salome cupped her hands around it for the warmth. She wasn't cold, it just something to focus on. Something besides Alexander and Icarus sitting across from her, or the stray officers that lingered at the edges of the room hoping to catch bits and pieces of their conversation.

Ed sat next her, but gave her space. He was the only reason Alexander hadn't verbally ripped her to shreds right outside Detective Talkos' office.

_"How about we move this to the lounge? Let's not forget someone tried to kill her today, huh, Andy?" Ed said as he gave Alexander's shoulder a squeeze._

Thank Creation that Alexander was completely smitten under Ed's charismatic spell, otherwise her she would never be able to walk past C-sec Academy without her ears turning red.

"I'm sorry I tried to beat a man up with a lamp," Salome said.

"So you admit it!" Alexander slammed his fist onto the table.

"We all saw her do it, Ander," Ed chastised.

"But you admit that it was a terrible idea?" Alexander said.

"Yes, as far as my hair-brained schemes go, it wasn't the greatest plan."

"It was horrible plan," Icarus said evenly.

He was less testy than he had been before, almost like he'd lost the will to fight. Salome had thought if he knew the details about what occurred during her little adventure he'd have gone nuclear, but he was calm for the most part.

"It wasn't a plan," Alexander said." It was grabbing the nearest blunt object and hoping for the best. What if you hadn't gotten to the knife first, huh? This is worse than when you jumped down an elevator shaft."

"She _what_?" Icarus said.

As far as Salome knew, Icarus and Alexander had never met. Alexander was aware that Icarus was the Turian Salome saved on the MacArthur, and Icarus in turn knew Alexander had been aboard the shuttle that escaped his squad, but that was where the association ended. She had actually been worried about the two of them meeting. Icarus was docile, most of the time, and wouldn't defend himself against anything Alexander had to say about his role in the massacre. She didn't know if Alexander still held a prejudice against Turians, but the MacArthur was as bad as bad blood could get for a man like him.

At that present moment, though, they looked like soul mates.

"Tell him about it another time," Ed said."Okay, Salome. You're sorry you tried to beat a man up with a lamp and...?"

Salome's nose wrinkled in childish distain.

"And I won't do it again," she said.

"Good, now we just have to keep her away from elevators," Alexander said.

Icarus had enough sense to suppress the laugh Salome's could tell was building in his chest. His eyes met hers, and Salome stared at him while she took a sip of her coffee. Something in his gaze went soft. Salome set her coffee on the table and his eyes followed her hands. His own hand, rested casually on the table, flexed and unflexed as he watch her fingers drum the paper cup idly.

She had been angry at him, but she knew it was misplaced. Although she couldn't really regret her actions, she conceded that they all had the right to be worried about and upset with her. Icarus had caught her off guard with how short he'd been with her, and she hadn't handled it with grace. She'd never known him to be like that, and it reminded her of how little she knew him in the first place.

"What did Captain Vakarian tell you about your protection team?" Icarus said.

Salome cocked her head.

"Nothing, I'm not getting one."

Icarus straightened his posture as Alexander scowled.

"Not getting one? Someone is trying to kidnap you," Alexander scoffed.

"I'm sure this can be cleared up," Icarus said."Sometimes the obvious falls through the cracks around here. I'll go see what I can do."

He stood up and left the lounge, turning down the hall toward Vakarian's office.  

"What a go-getter," Ed said."Is he always like that?"

"I'm not sure," Salome said."I've never really seen him like this. Usually our interactions are a short walk around the Presidium and me talking his ear off."

"He seems alright," Alexander said.

Salome and Ed said nothing.

"What?" Alexander asked."I can't change my ways?"

"We just didn't want to jinx it," Salome said.

Alexander reached over the table and stole her coffee.

"I have no right to pretend I'm an innocent victim," his voice dropped."Lord knows I've got blood on my hands."

Again, Salome and Ed said nothing. Alexander took a sip.

 

After twenty minutes, Salome had a sneaking suspicion that something wasn't right. Icarus still wasn't back, and Salome couldn't imagine that asking for a security team would take more than five minutes.  She wanted to be home and out of her ruined dress so she could tuck away somewhere safe and never lose a single stitch of it ever again. Alexander and Ed were supposed to go home an hour ago, but stuck around for her. She appreciated it, but they'd worked a twelve hour shift and she didn't want to impose on them any longer.

The discussion probably wasn't going well, which was fine with her. She couldn't look into the lead on the Customs pay off if there was someone watching her every move.

She stood up and headed to Vakarian's office. When she turned the corner she noticed a pooling of personnel in front of the short corridor to the offices. They were whispering to each other, no one daring to cross the threshold into the hall. Salome walked up to them.

"What's all this?" she asked.

"Oh, hey Rambo," a human officer said."Vakarian and Invictus are having some kind of stalemate down there. The air feels downright glacial."

"Don't be rude Thomas," Detective Talkos said."You should address her as Doctor Haw."

"It's a joke, Talkos," Thomas said."Chillax."

Detective Talkos was a female Turian with green markings, which Salome had never seen before. They covered her eyes like a mask and dotted her chin. Similar to humans, the male Turians were generally taller, but Talkos still stood one head above Thomas, and he wasn't exactly slight. Ed had told Salome she was assigned under Vakarian to work the Batarian slaver case. She seemed like a by-the-book, no nonsense sort of woman. Just the kind of person Castis Vakarian would promote.

"It's fine, Detective," Salome said." Although not very funny."

"Speak for yourself. I thought you were supposed to have a sense of humor," Thomas said.

Suppressing the urge to ask who had told him that, Salome moved on.

"Is it okay if I go in there?" she said.

Talkos and Thomas exchanged looks. An Asari behind them shook her head at her like she was a lost cause.

"Probably not," Talkos said."It doesn't concern you."

"That's never stopped me before," Salome said."If you'll clear the way, please."

Salome proceeded forward before they could say anything else. They moved aside without a word, but let her know with their faces what a huge mistake they thought she was making. They may have been right, but she wasn't about to let that show. She moved forward with purpose, head high. It wasn't until she started being able to make out the voices that she slowed.

"We apprehended them, Sergeant. The threat is neutralized."

The voice was Vakarian's for sure. Salome could hear some papers rustling even through the closed door.

"The buyer is still out there. We both know there's more than one gang willing to kidnap a single woman for millions of credits. They'd consider it easy money, especially if she has no one to protect her."

And that was Icarus, sounding a bit frantic.

"We have all of Daijer's associates."

"You don't know that. But we do know that this won't end with Daijer if the bounty is still up."

Someone inside sighed loudly.

"I understand that given your...attachment to Salome Haw that you put more thought into her safety than is standard-"

Salome stopped in front, hand hovering over the touch pad.

"-but you have to understand I cannot sanction a security team by myself, and the brass isn't hearing it. They think we've got the guys responsible, so that's that, as far as they are concerned. I can't move mountains for a measly _possibility_."

She didn't want protection for a number of reasons. She had it before, and it wasn't exactly fun having to be escorted everywhere like she was the galaxy's most notorious toddler. But it almost stung to hear she was worth so little to Vakarian and whoever he answered to.

"If something happens to her, I swear Castis, I-"

"Watch yourself, Icarus. The higher up's like you. Promotion is imminent if you stay on target. Do not waste your potential. Now is the time to be a model Turian and do what is asked of you."

Icarus raised his voice again to protest, but Salome couldn't let him finish and put his career on the line. Not for her. She opened the door and waltzed in.

Vakarian was sitting at his meticulously organized desk, with a pen and more paperwork beneath his hand. Icarus was leaning on the desk with both his hands braced on the edge of it. When he caught sight of her, he stood up straight, perplexed. She could tell a question was forming on his tongue. Vakarian was narrowing his eyes at her, pen cast aside.

It occurred to Salome then that she had no plan. She wondered if she would ever have a decent plan again in her life. She needed to diffuse the tension and get Icarus out of there before he did something to screw up his life, but she had absolutely no reason to be there and that was painfully obvious to everyone in the room. Time to ass pull.

"Hey, Vakarian," she said, voice a little too high to be natural." Can I see a picture of your kids?"

She could see Icarus raise his brow plates out of the corner of her eyes. Vakarian's demeanor didn't soften. He let out a sigh that sounded more like a growl, and rolled his eyes.

"Really?" he said.

Icarus mouthed something at her, probably a reprimand, but she couldn't read his mouth plates. She didn't react to him, and didn't let her gaze on Vakarian waver.

"I don't know why you came all the way over here for such a thing," Vakarian said as he pulled up some pictures on his omnitool.

Salome didn't say anything, but walked over to his side of the desk. She kept professional, or rather a safe, distance from him as he flipped through what had to be a couple dozen photos of two small Turians, a boy and a girl, with pale plates and blue markings like his own.

"They're close in age, but nothing alike," he said." The girl is Solana, she's a little over a year younger, but much more level-headed than her older brother, Garrus. He's always getting caught up in the small details, quicker to anger. But they're both good kids, lots of potential."

Salome let out a small laugh at a picture of Garrus and Solana covered in a mixture of yellow paint and mud, looking sheepish but far from sorry.

"They're cute," she said.

Vakarian looked as surprised as he was capable of looking.

"You think so? I always figured we must look like monsters to you," he said."I've seen some old movie stills after one of you referred to me as 'Godzilla.'"

"I'm so sorry, that's completely unacceptable," she said, sincere.

That was exactly the kind of thing she preached against when running her night classes, the insensitivity. Turians were just as self-actualized as humans, of course it would hurt when someone compared you'd to a monster. It was such a simple thing that so many people missed, and what was more, some didn't care if it did hurt because the person they offended didn't look like them.

Vakarian's expression didn't change, but he scrolled through some more pictures and pointed out his wife. She had kind eyes.

Across the desk, Icarus inhaled sharply.

"What do we look like to you?" he asked, words tumbling out too fast.

Salome paused for a moment, surprise he'd even asked. That it mattered to him.

"Like Turians," Salome said.

"That's a cop out," he said with a huff.

She shrugged.

"What do you want me to say, Icarus? You look like yourself."

Icarus didn't look satisfied by her answer, but he didn't look disappointed by it either. In fact, he barely reacted at all, like he was mulling it over in his head trying to decide what she really meant by her response. He was probably over thinking again. Which meant he was back to being his usual self, and the new angry Icarus was slumbering somewhere in his subconscious, waiting to be unleashed.

"Stop that," Salome said.

"Huh?" Icarus said.

"You always pick apart everything I say, like I hide insults in my word like little gems for you hunt for. If I didn't like you, I'd tell you. I mean it, Icarus. You're not scary, or monstrous, or ugly, and you don't even look like Godzilla so I don't know what that kid was thinking. Just, for once, take me at my word. Please?"

"That's not-I don't," Icarus sputtered, eyes lowering to the floor."It's just that I, you know, and..."

"Do you two want me to leave?" Vakarian asked. "My office?"

"No," Salome said."We're leaving now. Icarus and I have to..."

Again, Salome realized she had no plan. She looked at Icarus as she trailed off, hoping he would pick up on her distress. She could see the gears turning in his mind, but was obviously not living in the present. He would be no help.

"...feed my Roomba."

Ass pull number two.

Vakarian picked up his pen.

"Then get to it," he said.

Salome didn't say anything else but collected Icarus by the elbow and tried to lead him out the door. His whole body jerked when her touch snapped him out of his spell. He looked at her, eyes wide. Salome let her bafflement show on her face, and gave him a tug. He didn't move, but let his gaze rest on her hand that held his arm. Their speedy exit was taking entirely too long, and she could feel Vakarian getting annoyed.

"Sir," Icarus said.

Salome barely stopped herself from letting out a curse. She pleaded him with her eyes not to reengage. It didn't work.

"What?" Vakarian muttered.

"Do you know how many vacation days I've saved up?"

"Oh, God no," Salome whispered.

"No," Vakarian said with an intrigued tilt of the head.

"Well, you should know it's a lot. Thirty at least," Icarus said."I want to tell you that I'll be taking them effective immediately, and that if you need me to contact me personal number. Please excuse me."

Finally, Icarus turned to leave.

"You still have five hours on your shift," Vakarian said.

"I feel kind of sick, so I think I'll head home early," Icarus said."I've never done that before, so you know it's serious."

Icarus' eyes actually dared Vakarian to challenge him. Salome gaped in horror as Nice Icarus was replaced with Ballsy Icarus, the evil twin of Angry Icarus. She was going to have to watch her friend lose his job and know that, although he was making some terrible life choices all by himself, it was mostly her fault.

"Fine," Vakarian said."Nothing I can do about that stomach flu, right?"

Vakarian didn't even look up from his desk. Icarus strolled out of the room with Salome, whose hand was still perched on his elbow like he was a country gentleman escorting her to the ball. She didn't even bother to remove it, and let herself be led on autopilot down the hall.

 Castis had let him go, knowing he was lying, and an appalling lie at that. Icarus had practically jumped on his desk and announced his intention to destroy his own career before kicking the framed picture of Castis' wife into the ceiling.

"Don't over-think it," Icarus said with a knowing look.

He had the gall to smile, almost smirk, at her.

"Your mood swings are giving me whiplash," she said.

"You bring out the best in me."

"Yeah? Then be a charitable Turian and buy me dinner."

Icarus chuckled.

"Sure, but it'll have to be take out. You need to keep a low profile."

"I trust your impeccable judgment, my shining knight. Oh, and while you're being so sweet, could you do something else?"

He nodded and Salome jabbed her finger into his chest, speaking through clenched teeth.

"Don't ever jeopardize yourself for me again." 

"No promises," he said softly.

She could feel the rumble of his deep voice in his chest as he spoke, even through his hardened plates. It made the words feel closer, like he'd whispered them into her ear. She looked up at him. He had the barest hint of a smile left on his face, mostly in his eyes. She had no idea what she had done to deserve his loyalty, especially to such an extent. He was risking so much just to keep her safe from a threat that may not exist anymore, and she didn't know how she could repay him for it. He would never tell her if he was in trouble, it wasn't in his nature.

"Don't be a hero," she said.

"That's your vice, Sal," he laughed.

It was the first time he'd called her that. She'd told him it was alright to call her Sal ages ago. All her friends did, she had said, and the way he dropped his head told her that he didn't think she saw him that way. She did then, she did now, and she wanted, looking up in his warm brown eyes, for it to always be true.

Her pause had gone on for too long. Icarus titled his head in a silent question.

"Yeah, that's right," she said." And don't think for a second that you get to borrow my lamp."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ╹◡╹) Icarus and his nerves are here now. I'm looking forward to writing more interactions between him and Salome because I didn't do much of that in the first one.
> 
> My favorite part of writing this was Castis and the giant photo album he keeps of his family. What do you guys think?


	4. All Hands In

Chapter Four------- All Hands In

"I don't know what I expected," Salome said to Icarus while clinging to Alexander's leg.

"I know what _I_ expected!" Alexander bellowed.

He took a step forward, dragging Salome across the slick tile of the lounge with minimal effort. Ed was standing in front of him with his hands against Alexander's chest, but he wasn't putting any strength into stopping his partner from moving forward. Instead, he was trying to reason with him.

"We were all expecting a better outcome," Ed said."But this is what we have to work with, and we need to focus on making a plan."

Icarus stood close by, eyes darting nervously between Salome and Alexander. He wanted to do something, Salome could tell, but he was probably thinking he shouldn't presume to touch Alexander or get involved in a lover's quarrel.

 "I have a plan," Alexander said.

"Is it screaming?" Salome asked."Or giving me carpet-burn?"

Salome had started out the altercation with her arms wrapped tightly around Alexander's bicep, but between his speed, strength, and righteous indignation she had quickly found herself on the floor. So, leg it was.

She realized she should have waited until they left C-sec to tell him that there would be no security team, but hindsight was twenty-twenty and her luck was far from Irish.

"There's gonna be screaming, yeah."

"Ander, I shouldn't have to beg you," Ed said."I know that you know somewhere in the back of your mind that this won't change anything."

"Except maybe your employment status," Salome muttered.

Alexander stooped his neck to put his face closer to Ed's, eyes narrowed. Ed's steely expression didn't change.

"I'm not losing another friend because someone sitting at a desk decided she didn't matter. People sitting at desks have too much power," Alexander said, voice low.

Upon hearing his words, Salome let go of his leg and stood, brushing herself off. Ed's hands traveled up Alexander's chest to his neck.

"They do, they do. And they could have made this a lot easier on us but they didn't, and I doubt they ever will. So who can we rely on?"

Alexander dropped his head, eyes unfocused.

"Each other," he said.

"You and me, just like always, Ander," Ed whispered.

Salome got the feeling she should give them some space, and saw Icarus stepping quietly off to the side. She followed suit.

"Where are you going?" Alexander said.

"Uh, ten feet or so away?" Salome said.

Alexander jerked his hand in a gesture for her to come closer, and she did.

"You too, Invictus," Ed said."Don't worry, we'll stop being mushy."

"The fuck we will," Alexander said.

"That's not-I thought you'd want some space," Icarus said.

"What we want now is the absence of space," Salome joked.

Icarus walked over as hesitantly as physically possible, and stood the furthest away from the huddle.

"Okay, so let's make a game plan," Ed said." They think they have the guys, but we don't know that for certain. Which means someone needs to watch your ass."

"I'm uncomfortable with that phrasing, but yes," Salome said.

"I took some time off work to do just that," Icarus said."Well, not the part about, you know, uh-"

"You did? Why didn't you say anything?" Alexander asked.

Everyone looked at him dryly.

"Oh, right. My bad."

"Anyway, thank you, Invictus. That's very helpful," Ed said.

Icarus shifted his weight between in his feet restlessly at Ed's praise.

"So, your apartment is a no-go, Sal. Even those bastards with the hate mail know where you live," Alexander said.

"What hate mail?" Icarus asked.

"Yeah, you should stay somewhere else," Ed said.

"How about we switch it up," Alexander said."Two days with us, then two days with Invictus. Maybe Matriarch Iori can help too."

"I'm not putting her in danger again," Salome said." And for the record, I'm not thrilled about you guys being in the line of fire either. Is there any way I can convince you I'll be fine on my own?"

"No," all three men said in unison.

"Okay," Salome sighed. "Then who watches my ass first?"

So much for following up on Customs, she thought.

"I will," Icarus said."Well, not like _that_ , uh, I meant-"

"He's precious," Ed whispered in Salome's ear.

"-I know you two have a shift tomorrow, and there's no reason to miss work since I'm free for the foreseeable future, for this purpose specifically, and...actually, that's it."

"Sounds like a plan. Presented in the form of a minor panic attack," Ed said."But a plan nonetheless. Hands in team!"

Salome, Ed, and Alexander piled their hands on top of each other. Icarus was absent from the team huddle, and visibly confused. Salome used her free arm to yank him over. He cautiously placed his hand in the mix.

"One, two, three!"

They threw their hands in the air with a ceremonious whoop, Icarus just a moment behind the rest.

"Human culture eludes me," he said.

 

The last time Salome had been so grateful for a shower had been aboard the Thantos, with two Turians watching her bathe. Luckily, she was currently in the comfort of her own apartment with all the privacy and fancy soaps she wanted.

They had all agreed to stop by her apartment together while she collected her things and got cleaned up, just in case someone was staking the place out. Alexander, Ed, and Icarus were in the living room, and Salome could hear some lively chatter. She hoped they were getting along. It would be nice if they could all be friends.

The hot water stung the cuts on her knees. She had taken the bandages off, and only realized after the fact that she didn't keep anything larger than a band-aid at home. The bleeding had stopped, so she figured it would be fine to leave them open to air.

She got dressed in a tee-shirt and some sweatpants that barely counted as publically presentable, but if she was going to be on the run she was going to be comfortable. She folded Elliot's dress up neatly, pressing out all the wrinkles she could. She thought she might like to get it dry-cleaned, but found that she didn't trust anyone not to ruin it anymore than it already had been. She tucked it away on the top shelf inside her closet, as far from prying eyes as she could get it. Satisfied that it was safe and well hidden, she shut the door to the closet and sought to filling up a duffle bag with the bare necessities.

Once she was finished, she went out into the living room and narrowly avoided stepping on Ranoldo, who was trying to vacuum up a rug. The others didn't notice her right away, and kept talking amongst themselves.

"So I'm dangling there, on a cable in an elevator shaft over certain death, and I watch as this five-foot four _biologist_ who talks to her plants just jumps-"

Alexander sailed his arm through the air to illustrate his story. Ed was laughing like a maniac, in a way that was quintessentially Ed, and something Salome hadn't seen him do in a while. Icarus was seated in the arm chair across from Ed and Ander on the couch, bent over with his elbows on his knees, engrossed

"- and stabs a glowing knife into the elevator door."

"Are you kidding?" Icarus said.

"He's really not," Ed wiping his eyes."I've heard this story like ten times."

"I remember it so clearly it might as well have happened yesterday, even though I aged twenty years watching her do it. I don't even remember how she got the door open."

Salome stepped further into the room, tossing her duffle bag onto the couch beside Alexander.

"I did it with my superior intelligence and a crowbar," she huffed."Also, you shorted me an inch. I'm five-foot five."

"Well, I'm _six_ -foot five," Alexander said."And you are crazy if that's the only part of this story you take issue with."

Salome stuck out her tongue.

"Tall people are more likely to have heart attacks."

"Icarus, how much time do you have left?" Ed asked before bursting into laughter.

Icarus let out a soft chuckle, but Salome could tell he was a little uneasy about being teased, as if he couldn't quite decide if Ed was really kidding.

"I'm on my last leg," he said."Just enough time to hear about how Salome thought a desk could stop a sniper rifle."

Alexander joined his fiancé in uproarious laughter. Ed's head smacked on the back of the couch so hard Salome thought he might have a concussion.   

"I don't need to explain my brilliance, you wouldn't understand," she said. "How tall are you anyway?"

She'd asked the question mostly to avoid having to give details about her thought process that day. Everyone already knew she was not thinking clearly, and she was in no hurry talk about it again.

"Um, let me see what the conversions are..."

Icarus pulled up his omnitool and started typing. Ed and Ander leaned in a showy display of interest, meant more for humor than genuine intrigue. Salome perched on the arm of the couch and smiled at Icarus' expression of earnest confusion at his research.

 She had never seen another Turian with his pattern of markings. They were white, and curved around the outer edges of his eyes from his cheekbones to his brow plates. A small rectangular dash was drawn across the bridge of his flat nose, and a diamond-like shape was placed over the center of his lips. She had always wanted to ask him what they meant. She knew that they were for something about family, blood-lines. But she wanted to know what they meant to _him._

"Does two-hundred and eight centimeters mean anything to you guys?" Icarus asked.

"You're six-foot ten? That's practically unheard of for a human," Alexander said." Are you tall for a Turian?"

"I'm exactly average," he said.

"Not to us," Ed said."To us, you are god among men."

Icarus puffed out a small laugh that was really more of a rush of air as he looked at the floor, embarrassed.

"I'm so glad I know how tall everyone is now," Alexander said."This has been an enlightening evening."

"You don't know how tall I am," Ed said.

"Yes I do, but you can tell me again later."

Alexander leaned over and gave Ed a quick kiss on the forehead. Salome had very rarely seen him do things like that in her presence, let alone the presence of a stranger. It didn't go unnoted by her that in the short time she had left them alone, both Ed and Ander had starting calling Icarus by his first name instead of the more professional 'Invictus'. Maybe they figured he wouldn't be a stranger for long, which made Salome much happier than she would have guessed.

"Let's get this show on the road," Alexander said." Got everything?"

"Yup," Salome said."I'm just gonna grab some cereal bars from the kitchen."

"You know, I'll buy you actual food," Icarus said."I seem to remember a promise of dinner."

Salome walked over to the kitchen anyway, which was just off the living room.

"Never hurts to be prepared," she said. "Even if you are so very charitable."

There was a knock on the door. Salome froze halfway through opening a cabinet door. She looked over her shoulder to see Alexander holding up one finger to his lips. It could be anyone at the door, but it was better safe than sorry. Ed walked quietly over to Salome as Alexander headed to the door, Icarus following behind. 

Ed crouched behind the kitchen counter and gently patted the floor next to him. Salome sat.

"It could be a pizza guy with the wrong address," she whispered.

"A pizza guy with a _gun_ ," Ed said.

Salome clasped her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing.

"Hello?" a masculine voice called through the door."Doctor Haw, are you home?"

Salome stood up and walked over to the door despite Alexander mouthing obscenities at her to get back to the kitchen. She looked at the security camera screen on the touch pad beside the door. She didn't know his voice well, but she recognized the accent. Sure enough, it was Exton.

"I know you don't want to see me, but I wanted to make sure you were alright," Exton continued."I am sorry if I drove you into a corner at the meeting today. There is a lot for us to discuss, and if you just want to yell at me that's fine, too. I brought wine."

Salome saw Alexander mouth the words, _He brought wine?_

Salome pushed the comm button.

"Hey, I'm sorry you came all the way down here for nothing, but now isn't a good time, Professor Exton," Salome said.

"Call me David, please," he said.

 _Call him David?_ Alexander mouthed.

"Five minutes of your time is all I ask," Exton said.

Exton smiled in way she would have found charming as a teenager. He probably got away with more than he should have as a young man because of that smile. Salome drummed her fingers impatiently on her thigh. Why couldn't this guy just take no for an answer, tonight of all nights?

"If I didn't open the door, how long would you wait?" Salome asked.

"It'd probably take me an hour to finish this bottle all by myself..."

He really would too, she knew. There was no way out of the building that didn't involve David Exton turning himself into one massive obligation. Salome looked at Alexander without hiding her hesitance and building irritation. He shrugged.

Salome opened the door. Exton stood with one hand in his pocket and the other casually holding a bottle of white wine at his hip.

"I hope you have some glasses," he held the bottle out to her.

"I hope you like mugs," she said taking the bottle."Five minutes, Exton. It's not that you aren't good company, I'm busy tonight."

"So long as I'm good company," he said, stepping in the living room.

Before turning to head to the kitchen, Salome saw Exton jerk in surprise at Alexander standing beside the door. 

"'Sup," Alexander said.

"Hey, Ed," Salome called."Can you get the mug out of the cabinet next to the fridge?"

Ed popped up from his hiding spot behind the counter. Exton's footsteps behind her stopped.

"Sure thing," he chirped."How many?"

"Do you want some water, Icarus?" she said.

"I'm alright," Icarus said.

"Oh! Hello," Exton said."Didn't see you there."

"Good evening," Icarus said.

"Just four is fine, Ed," Salome said." Guys, this is Professor Exton. We met at this evening's meeting."

People mumbled some apprehensive greetings to each other. Salome asked Exton to have a seat on the couch. He sat in the very middle, and she watched as Icarus and Alexander chose to sit on either side of him, flanking him in. They made a good team, she mused.

She stabbed a bottle opener into the cork and began to unscrew it as Ed set down four porcelain mugs next to her.

"Something tells me he was hoping to get you alone."

 Ed flicked the bottle with his index finger. Salome began to pour.

"At least it not a red," Salome said.

Exton wasn't an unattractive man, or even an unpleasant one at that, but any chance he had at wooing her was thwarted by his own bad timing. Ed and Salome brought the cups over the living room. Ed sat by Alexander and Salome got the arm chair. She sipped her wine.

"This was thoughtful," Salome said."But, oh my, look at all the strings attached to it."

She mimed picking a something off of her mug. Exton chuckled.

"I'm not trying to buy your favor, just extending a hand," he said.

Only she and Exton knew what the conversation was about. She hadn't told anyone about Eden Prime and the inevitability of her departure. This was about the worst way she could think to let them in on the situation, and she debated asking Exton to go somewhere private to discuss the matter.

 The only other place in her apartment besides the bathroom was her bedroom, and she sure as hell wasn't going to invite him in there when he showed up to her house with wine less than a day after meeting her. Salome cursed open-concept kitchens and chose her words with care.

"You know as well as I do what's done is done," she said.

"I don't want you to feel that way, though. I want you to be excited about it. There's so much for a biologist on Eden Prime."

"Eden Prime?" Alexander said.

Salome cleared her throat nervously.

"I forgot to fill you guys in because of all the commotion, but, uh, the Primarch wants me to help establish Eden Prime. It's almost certain that I have to go," she said.

It had never been so hard to push words from her throat.

A heavy silence settled over the room. Alexander looked angry, which was how he always looked when working through any emotion that wasn't happiness. Ed stared at her blankly, and Icarus appeared almost hurt. She didn't want that, any of it. She cast her gaze down at her mug, turning it round and round.

"See, I wish you wouldn't say that you _have_ to go," Exton said, setting his mug on the coffee table.

Salome didn't say anything, but looked at him hard.

"Just, think for minute about all the professional opportunities for you there. Your mission before the war was to find a place like Prime."

"It was, but now that part of my life is over and I've tried hard to find a place for myself here. I don't appreciate having that taken from me. "

Exton sat up straighter. Salome could tell he knew he was in an awkward situation, and that he wasn't the most popular man in the room. But she recognized the fire in his eyes because it was a flame she also felt when she was sure she was doing the right thing. He really did want to her to believe in the project, to embrace it. But that wasn't going to happen less than a day after the choice was made for her, and not over a mug of Moscato.

"I understand that, I do. I just wanted to talk with you, scientist to scientist. I hoped I would leave here tonight with you being a little less upset about what happened at the meeting, that's all," he said."And, I wanted to see how you were holding up."

Salome let out a humorless laugh and drained the wine in her mug.

"Fine," she said as she stood.

She meandered over to the kitchen to get another glass. In all honesty, she wasn't doing because she wanted the alcohol, but to get away from the people staring her down with the entire spectrum of sapient emotion. Exton didn't follow her, but he did stand and turn to face her.

"That didn't look like fine to me," he said.

"No offense, but that's none of your concern," she bit off.

He wasn't an evil man, just over-presumptuous. He was taking far too many liberties for someone she had met not even eight hours ago. Her shortness with him seemed to finally get through, and she saw his shoulders deflate.

"I'm sorry," she said."I know you're trying to be kind, but today is..."

"Today?" Exton finished.

"Yeah."

"You know, I didn't love the project at first either. I'm an astrophysicist turned civil engineer, and while I'm qualified to build a colony on the outskirts of space, it always sounded like a job for another person."

Salome took the bait.

"What changed your mind?"

"The people who believed in it," he smiled."Unfortunately, the man who reeled me in didn't make it out of a pacemaker surgery, and no one else stepped up to the plate, so here I am. I think you and I share that kind of experience."

She said nothing because she didn't quite agree.

"Well," Exton stepped out from the couch."Call me when you're feeling better. I'm sorry if this came off like I was trying to pressure you."

He slid his phone number on a business card across the counter, not yet letting go of it and looking at her expectantly. Feeling guilty for snapping at him, she reached toward the card. Exton very briefly touched his finger tips to hers.

"You can call me whenever, I mean it," he said. "You guys enjoy the wine."

He took his leave.

"That man has balls bigger than my head," Ed said.

She couldn't argue with that, and didn't say anything else regarding Exton. She stepped out from behind the counter and went over to her friends.

"I'm sorry I forgot to tell you about Eden Prime," she said.

"Can't blame you for getting distracted."

 Ed laughed, but it was missing the warmth she loved so dearly about his laughter. Alexander just stared at her, no longer angry but sad. She could only see the back of Icarus' head, his expression hidden from her. She dug her face into her hands.

"This is all such a mess," she said.

"Hey, hey," Ed said."We're just going to miss you. It not exactly good news, but you shouldn't feel bad. It's not your fault."

He got up and encircled her shoulders in a big hug. His metal hand was cool through the thin cotton of her tee-shirt. The feeling reminded her of everything he had gone through, and now her thoughtlessness was complicating his life further. He had to be at work in five hours and he wasn't even getting proper rest because she had to make herself a target for slavers. She probably wasn't going to make to his wedding either, like a good friend would have, because she got herself roped into some goddamn project she wanted no part of. But there he was, consoling her.

Like she was the one that deserved to be consoled.

Alexander lost his leg at Shanxi, lost his squad, lost his ship. Icarus too. He lost his comrades on the MacArthur, crushed by debris and burned by fire. He had a hole ripped through him.

She was the only who made it out without scars, and she was the one being comforted by the ones who would never be the same.

"I'm fine, Ed," she said pushing away.

Ed appeared unconvinced, but said nothing. Alexander had twisted himself all the way around on the couch and burrowed his eyes into her. Icarus was glancing now. She could only see one of his brown eyes from the angle, but it stabbed into her better than any blade.

Everywhere she went people were always looking at her like she was out of place, an exception to a rule. What was it about her that dissatisfied people the moment they saw her?  Why wouldn't people just stop staring at her?

She didn't feel like crying, but it was as if something in her was threatening to boil over. Her skin was too tight around her bones, her own weight too heavy to support.

Alexander pressed his mouth into a thin line. Abruptly, he stood, tossing her duffle bag over his shoulder.

"Come on, Haw," he said.

She hadn't heard him use his Captain Voice on her since the MacArthur, but the way he held his head up and marched passed her was military down to the way his heels met the ground. His entire demeanor was jarring enough that she didn't question it, and followed him without a word.

Ed and Icarus strayed behind as Salome and Alexander exited her apartment. He walked right passed the elevator to the stairwell entrance and held the door open for her. She went inside with hesitance she hoped he didn't notice.

"Doesn't it bring you back, in the worst way?" he said."Just being in here is enough for me to see it in the back of my mind."

Salome wasn't facing him on purpose. She started her way down the steps.  He followed.

"I carried Ed up three flights of stairs trying not to slip on the blood, or trip on the people. I can feel him over my shoulder, even now. What do you feel?"

"Nothing," she said.

"Liar."

They made it down the first flight.

"What's the random thing that reminds you of it? Mine is toast. Fucking toast, because that was the only thing I ate since the Patel went down. Ed made me. It was on his breakfast tray. He ordered it for three meals straight because he knew he could make me eat it. It was only a piece of toast, after all."

The second flight was behind them.

"So?" he said, grabbing her arm."What is it?"

Salome felt nauseous, unbalanced. His grip on her arm was more of a psychological anchor than a physical one. She couldn't move, couldn't _not_ answer, or he'd think it was worse than it was. He had her pinned.

"Whenever someone yells," she said in a quiet voice."No matter why they're yelling, happy or angry or whatever. At first, I always think it's screaming."

Alexander slid his grip from her arm to her hand.

"And what do you do when that happens?"

"Wait it out."

He stepped around her so that they were face to face. He squeezed her hand.

"Do you know why I love Ed?"

Worry painted his features as he looked at her.

"I can hazard a few guesses," she said."He's a good person."

"True, but I've met lots of good people and I didn't want to spend the rest of my life with them."

Salome let her silence urge him to continue.

"I'm not an easy person to get along with," he said." But that's never been a problem for him. He can cut through the worst of me and find something redeemable. Even when I give up on myself, resigned to hate what I am, he'll tell me he likes the way I flip pancakes or something completely pointless like that."

Alexander's laughter was laced with a peculiar mixture of self-hatred and affection. It was borderline unsettling, but his smile was almost blinding.

"Do you know how exhausting it would be for me to try and see the best in people all the time? People I don't even like or want to get to know? He does it like it's breathing. Standing beside him, looking through his eyes, it changes me. He makes me better. I am better for having known him, and I love him because he's strong enough to keep looking for the best in people, no matter how they disappoint him.

"I don't think we should need another person in order live and be happy, but I do think sometimes we need another point of view. I could only see the worst of the world, and it's hard to find a reason to go on when everything is that dark. I needed him to tell me I deserved something else, something brighter, because I was too far gone to see it."

Alexander gripped her shoulders and made her look at him.

"If you need a sign, Sal, here it is. I think you need help."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we all know an Exton. 
> 
> The wiki page for turians says they usually stand above 6 feet tall, so I figured the females would be in the low to mid 6 foot range and the males average at just shy of 7 ft. I don't know, I'm making this stuff up.


	5. Nothing Wrong With Simple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 6-7-18: I will not have the next chapter up this week. I have a tough exam coming up and I just haven't found the time to finish the chapter. I will have it up next week on the 14th.

Chapter 5------- Nothing Wrong With Simple

Nighttime in big cities always unnerved Salome. She was from a small town in Illinois, and once the sun had set, everything in Allendale went to sleep. Cities kept stirring no matter what. People were always on the move, all sorts of people. Nighttime had the added affect of making them bolder, like being draped in shadow for a few hours would hide them from their actions forever.

She wished she had brought a jacket. It wasn't cold, but she wanted an extra layer between her skin and world around her.

Neon lights lit up the side of Icarus' face, blue then pink. He had her duffle bag over his shoulder.

Alexander had given it to him before he left. He had been angry, far angrier than she had seen him in a while. Ed had been confused when they came out of the stairwell. Alexander was fuming, Salome was withdrawn.

She had told him to back off, mind his own business. Despite that, Alexander kept pressing her. Worry dripped from every word he spoke until he knew for certain she wouldn't agree to talk to someone.

_"You're such a fucking hypocrite," he hissed._

She didn't know what he meant by that, and she didn't want to think about it anymore. Ed let Alexander storm off while he bid Salome and Icarus proper goodbyes. He gave Salome another hug, and Icarus a pat on the back before walking calmly after his fiancé.

How he kept such grace under pressure was a mystery to her. It reminded her of Iori.

She wanted to talk to Iori, but she would have to explain so much. She didn't think she was up to the task just then. Iori would forgive her for waiting a day. She was far too kind.

Icarus had asked if she as alright. He didn't ask about what happened. That was Icarus in a nutshell. Always toeing the line.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"I said I'd buy you dinner."

"I'm not hungry."

That wasn't quite true. She hadn't gotten dinner, but she had no desire to eat after her fight with Alexander. She felt numb, like she had no needs to meet. She kept walking.

Icarus zoomed ahead of her.

Salome's brows knit together, perplexed. Maybe he didn't want to deal with her foul mood? That made sense. She could use some space, too, she figured.

Icarus stopped in front of a restaurant, turned to make sure she was looking at him, and then ducked into the store. Salome let out a sigh.

She opened the door to the restaurant. A bell chimed, and the place smelled of garlic. It was a Chinese place, one of the few in the wards. Pizza was more popular with the other species, but Chinese was Salome's personal favorite takeout. She didn't remember telling him that.

Icarus was sitting at a table in the middle of dining area, looking very out of place.

"You can't even eat this stuff," she said.

"No, but I wanted to sit down for a bit. I'm so tired from work."

He was obviously full of it. He didn't look the least bit exhausted. His eyes were bright and attentive, his posture ramrod straight.

"I might be here a while. You have time to get something, if you want."

It was a challenge. Ballsy Icarus was back.

Salome pulled out a chair across from him, not caring about the screeching sound it made on the floor. She sat down gracelessly and looked at him. Icarus blinked lazily.

He was in it for the long haul. She might as well get some wanton soup.

 

Salome munched on her fortune cookie as they made their way down the sidewalk, plastic bag of Chinese takeout carried in the crook of her elbow. Ads for toothpaste and luxury cars played on the digital billboards above them. The passersby were either completely silent, or laughing like mad. Most of the latter were drunk.

Icarus hadn't said anything since the Chinese restaurant. He didn't even speak when he reached over her shoulder to pay for her food at the cash register. She hadn't felt like talking, he probably sensed that and respected it. He was a good friend, she thought. She had always thought that.

"Have you ever seen one of these before?" Salome asked.

She held up her half eaten fortune cookie in one hand and the tiny scroll of paper in the other.

"No," he said.

"It's a fortune cookie. They put words of wisdom in the middle on a piece of paper."

"Won't you eat the paper?"

"You're supposed to break it open before you eat it." she chuckled."It's just a bit of fun."

"What does yours say?"

Salome made a show of clearing her throat and read aloud.

"'You will find a thing. It may be important.'"

"Mind-blowing," he said.

"My world has changed," she said.

They laughed, but not as loud as the drunken co-eds behind them. Salome dug the second and last cookie out of the takeout bag.

"This one's yours. Don't worry, I'll eat the poison."

Icarus took the sweet from her with a bit of hesitance, and unwrapped it.

"Break it in half," she instructed.

He did, and gave Salome the broken cookie. She took a bite as he read the fortune. His eyes scanned over the small scrap of paper more than once. He looked at her though the corner of his eye, discomfited.

"Well?" Salome asked.

"Um, 'The person you desire feels the same about you.'"

"Oooooh," the co-eds said in chorus.

They broke out in inebriated laughter. Salome couldn't help but smile at them. They were loud, but harmless, so she didn't reprimand them for eavesdropping. This was a night where they had no worries, and Salome knew how precious such things could be.

"At least yours was helpful," Salome said."But some people say you have to eat it for it to come true."

Icarus looked warily at the piece of paper.

"The cookie," she said.

"Oh," he smiled sheepishly.

"You could risk it," Salome waggled the last piece of the cookie in front of his face."How much do you like this mysterious person?"

Icarus bent down to her hand and opened his mouth. She jerked her hand away instantly and looked at him incredulously. His mouth snapped shut into a grin.

"They would be mad I got myself killed over a prophetic baked good."  

"They sound like a reasonable person."

"Most of the time."

Salome nibbled on the cookie. He had someone he liked. She didn't know why that felt strange to her, almost like a foreign concept, but she was glad he was comfortable enough to share that with her.

Sucking in a gulp of cool nighttime air, Salome found she wasn't as distressed as she had been a short fifteen minutes ago. She popped the last of the fortune cookie into her mouth.

"Race you to that decorative tree," she said.

"No."

"Why not?"

"You have cargo," he gestured to the sack of food on her arm.

 "And you have my duffle bag, we're even."

"We're really not."

"Pray tell, how?"

"My legs come up to your ribs, you really think you stand a chance?"

"Oh, Ballsy Icarus is back yet again."

"Wha-?"

"Salome Haw!" a male voice shouted.

Spinning around on her heels, Salome saw a man in his twenties push his way through the co-eds. He had on a green jacket that had seen better days, and his once white sneakers where dyed brown with mud. She didn't recognize his face, but he looked angry.

"Can I help you?" she said.

The man walked forward purposefully, eyes narrowed. Icarus stepped half way in front of her, blocking the man's beeline to her. He stopped as soon as Icarus moved, just a few feet away.

"I want you to tell me something," he said.

"I'll see what I can do, but I make no promises."

"Of course not," he spat.

Salome may not have been the most well-mannered person, but she certainly wasn't mean. However, the mysterious figure had picked the worst possible day to act stand-offish to her. She let her irritation show in the taut lines around her mouth.

"Please, make it quick. I've had a shitty day."

"I thought you were a politician. Kind of rude, don't you think?"

"I'm not a politician, but I am impatient, so if you'll excuse me."

Salome turned her back to the man and started walking.

"Why did you betray us?" the man shouted.

"What?" she said, twisting her head over her shoulder.

"You saw what they did," he jabbed a finger at Icarus."And you still saved one. "

Salome deeply regretted not taking her jacket. The air had turned frigid. People were staring. Still, she wasn't about to explain it to a stranger in front of even more strangers, and definitely not before she talked to Icarus about it.

"Now you walk around with one, like you're just out on the town, having a blast. Like they aren't the enemy."

"They aren't the enemy."

"The hell they aren't!"

Salome let a glare settle onto her face. She stood right beside Icarus, nearly touching him. That action was her answer.

"They took us from our people!"

The man lunged forward. Salome thought for a second he meant to attack her, but he stopped short. Even so, he was so close she could feel his breath. Icarus' arm was lodged firmly between them.

"Kept us prisoner. Ran their little tests until I was sure I'd die in that bleached-white hellhole."

"Oh, God," she whispered.

He had been taken, too.

"And after all that, how can you pretend we'll ever be more than rats to them? For their games or target practice."

She wasn't sure what to say because she didn't know what he had been through. Urlu hadn't wanted to hurt her. He wanted to test the depth of her intelligence. But it was entirely possible not all the researchers during the war had been so gentle in their quest for knowledge.

"Look," she said placidly."I don't know what happened to you, I don't know how deep your pain goes. What I do know is that my answer won't fix it for you. You won't find any peace from me. I think that you and I have been shaped by very different things."

The man's eyes dart back and forth, a sneer was frozen on his face.

"How can you say he's your friend?"

His voice was thick, like he was fighting through a lump in his throat. Whoever he was now, he'd never be the same as he was before. He knew that, and it burned him.

"His name is Icarus, and he saved my life today," she said."We're friends because he doesn't roll his eyes at my terrible jokes, and because he's one of the most thoughtful people I've ever met."

The man's hand curled into fists at his sides. His whole body was shaking, jaw clenched so hard she thought his teeth might shatter.

"Did that fix anything?" she asked.

"No."

He turned away . The co-eds split down the middle to accommodate his escape. Icarus' arm dropped away from her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Better than him," she said.

Icarus inhaled deeply before letting out a short sigh.

"Sal, are you alright?" he reiterated.

Icarus' mandibles were flush against his jaw, his whole face tight with concern and a touch of exasperation. Alexander had looked at her that way, too. It finally got to her.

"I'm exhausted," she said.

Salome dropped her head and ran a frazzled hand through her hair.

"I'm so tired, all the time."

"You've been on your feet awhile now," he agreed.

Neither of them were speaking about a single day.

"Can you make it another couple blocks?" he said.

"I'm not that pathetic."

"I know. I just owe you a carry."

He did not, as far a she was concerned. She hadn't carried Icarus on the MacArthur, only supported his weight. It wasn't as if he hadn't done his share of the work.

"I'll hang on to that favor a little while longer," she said.

"I'm always at your service."

Icarus stooped his head in an easy bow.

He meant it, and she wondered if it was because he was a selfless person, or if he felt that he owed her. She hoped it was because they were friends, she felt sad that it probably wasn't.

 

Icarus stayed in a large apartment building near the top floor. His own living space was on the small side, with neutral tones and furnishings but meticulously clean. It made sense to Salome. He only needed the basics because he spent most of his time at work, and he wasn't one for fuss anyhow.

"It's like if you were a room," she said.

"Boring?"

Salome shot him a dry look.

"I was going to say simple, but that might be just as insulting."

Icarus shrugged.

"Never found anything wrong with simple."

He took her duffle bag through a door Salome assumed lead to the bedroom. She placed her takeout containers on the counter and rushed to follow him.

"I'm not taking your bed," she said.

"You're not taking the couch. It's in front of a huge window, it'll make you susceptible to an attack."

Icarus stood in the middle of his bedroom with his hands on his hips, which looked so humanly defiant it threw Salome for a loop.

Only a bed and a desk populated the room, minus some wall hangings that looked like awards or plaques of some kind. The bed didn't look like any bed Salome had ever seen. It resembled a fainting couch with its upholstered frame, but the mattress was dipped in the center.

"You sleep in a cozy bathtub," she said.

"Turians can't lay flat."

Icarus tapped his crest to illustrate his point. The spurs on his legs probably didn't help either.

"You should be able to get comfortable. You can sit up or lay down or, uh, upside down, I guess. If you like that. I get you different blanket."

He turned to open the closet next to his desk and pulled out another bedspread.

"Icarus, I really feel bad about kicking you out," she said.

"Well, um, I hope this doesn't make you uncomfortable but..."

He started folding up the old blanket and replacing it, trying very hard not to look at her.

"It thought I should, er, well, stay in here with you just in case someone shows up."

His words crammed together on account of him speaking so quickly. Salome could feel a smile spread across her face and was grateful he had his back turned to her. He was in distress, and she shouldn't find his anxiousness endearing, but she did.

"That makes sense," she said."I'm not sure how we can both fit on the bed, though."

Icarus' spine snapped straight.

"No, I wouldn't, no!" he stammered."That's not, I'd never take adv- I _wouldn't_ , no, that's not what I meant."

He pivoted to show her how sincere he was only to find Salome trying so hard to hold back laughter she might burst a vein. The look of betrayal that formed on his face wasn't quite enough to make her feel bad.

"How could you?"

"Well," she said after a burst of laughter."I have no impulse control, for starters."

Icarus huffed and rolled his eyes. He folded the old blanket over his arm.

"And?"

"I think that's the root of the problem."

"Eat your Chinese food."

 

Turians didn't seem to be the race most preoccupied with comfort, but it was still hard to watch Icarus sit on the floor, his back to the wall, and pretend he was in a position that facilitated sleep.

"I've got a pillow, it's fine."

It was not fine.

The bed was tucked into a corner a few feet away from the desk. Icarus bedded down in the space between them, causing his head to be very close to Salome's when she laid back.

She had an all access pass to burrowing her gaze straight through his skull.

"I've slept on the floor before, it won't kill me."

"We've discussed this, Salome."

"I didn't get the outcome I wanted so we have to keep arguing."

"I've slept in some pretty horrible places in my time," he said."This is practically a five-star hotel. With a great view of the only entrance into the room."

Icarus patted the heavy pistol laying by his thigh. Salome was reasonably sure there was a shotgun under the bed, too. 

"How horrible?" she asked.

He adjusted the pillow behind his neck as he spoke.

"Used to be a part of special reconnaissance teams. We'd stake out place we thought might be shadier than meets the eye. A tactical position for spying wasn't also the most optimal for comfort." 

"Rocks?"

"Lots of rocks."

"Did you like it more than C-Sec?"

"Not really. Both are respectable positions. They make the family proud, it's just hard to enjoy seeing the worst of people all the time."

Salome shifted in the bed. The mattress was so soft that she had trouble moving around once she sank into it.

"Must be hard not to get jaded," she said.

"I'm not entirely sure I avoided it," he said.

"Sure you did," she said."I was once your sworn enemy but now we're having a sleepover. Can't do that without keeping an open mind."

Even in the dark, Salome could see Icarus' eyes as they unfocused. She got the feeling she treaded somewhere she shouldn't have.

"You were never the enemy. You were supposed to be..."

His voice was rough, almost angry, but the anger wasn't directed towards her.

"Do you want to know?" he asked.

Salome wasn't sure what he planned to reveal if she said yes, but she nodded anyway. If he wanted to tell her, she'd listen.

"My squad boarded the MacArthur after the initial attack, but don't think for a second I didn't take lives on that ship."

Salome pulled the blanket up to her chin, suddenly chilled.

"Our job was to find the survivors and take one male and one female for testing. The choice of who we took was up to our discretion, but only two. Do you know what that means?"

She just stared at him.

"If that shuttled hadn't taken off, if you hadn't done what you did...I might have killed you. Or Alexander, or Edgar. I'm no psychopath. I don't like to kill people. But it's all I've known for so long, it wouldn't have been hard. "

Salome sat up in the bed, leaning against the padded headboard. Icarus didn't look at her, almost like he couldn't bear to.

"It scares me how easily I'd have hurt you."

That was the only thing she needed to hear to forgive him. She couldn't forgive him for what he did to the others because it wasn't her place to. They were in an odd spot. She couldn't deny he did horrible things, but war was an unprecedented level of gray morality. He was a soldier. He did what soldiers did, but that knowledge didn't bring him any comfort. And that was because in the weave of his soul Icarus was not a hateful person.

Without thinking too much about it, Salome reached out a ran what she hoped was a soothing stroke across the top of Icarus' head. The texture was an unlikely cross between leather and stone.

"If you try to think about all the soldiers who killed people they could have been friends with, you won't ever sleep again," she said.

Icarus twisted ever so slightly toward the sound of her voice.

"I don't sleep much anymore," he whispered.

"Me neither. Someone's always waiting to have a word with me."

"Have you talked to anyone about that?"

"No."

"You should."

"If I do, will you?"

"I did. Mandatory."

"Did it help?"

"Didn't hurt. Promise me you will."

It would hurt, though, she thought. To talk about it, everything she saw, everything she felt. There was so much pain hiding in those memories, how could it not hurt? She already cried so much over it all she didn't want to give any more of her energy to confronting the past.

Icarus reached up and took her hand off his head to hold near his chest. He finally looked at her, demanding an answer. She squeezed his hand.

Confronting the past was no more draining than running from it. She might as well try.

She released his hand and held up her pinky finger.

"I will. Pinky promise."

After a soft rush of laughter, Icarus curled his finger around hers.

"This is an odd thing to swear on. Is it legally binding?"

"Only on playgrounds. Otherwise, it's more of an honor system."

"I take it adults don't normally do this?"

"Adults ruined the economy, what do they know?"

Icarus unwound their fingers and held her hand so that he could inspect all of her digits.

"How can you keep track of so many fingers?" he asked.

"How can you grab small things with only three?"

Salome tapped her fingers against his palm in the same way she did aboard the shuttle nearly a year ago. He didn't miss the reference.

"What did you say to me," Icarus began."When you were trying to keep me awake?"

"Don't fall asleep."

"That's it?"

"No," she said."I told you a story about my friends, too. You were pretty out of it by then."

Shifting his body so that he could rest his shoulder against the wall, Icarus faced Salome. His attention was still on her hand.

"Dying is hard work," he smiled.

"I'll take your word for it. What did you say to me?"

"Well, the very first time I saw you and you threw a bomb at me-"

"Sorry."

"I had it coming. When I got to you I asked if you liked to cause trouble."

"That's not very Icarus-like."

"Bomb."

"You had it coming."

Salome sank back down onto the mattress. Icarus folded both his forearms on the edge of it and rested his chin on them.

"I asked you all sorts of things in the shuttle," he said."Why were you helping me, what you planned to do. After the first twenty minutes those things didn't seem to matter anymore. Then, I wanted to know your name, and what your hair was for, and why you had so _many_ fingers."

"Five is a perfectly respectable amount of fingers."

"Debatable. When the shuttle landed, I asked you not to go. I said, 'If you go out there, they'll kill you.'"

"Why did you care if they did?"

"Because you seemed like a nice person."

Salome had always wondered why he tried to stop her from leaving the escape pod. In the moment, she wanted to think it was because he was worried about her, and to a certain extent she let herself believe it. Until she met him again, and she realized that it's easier to ascribe your own ideas to someone when you don't know them. Before they reunited, he could have been anyone and felt anything. After, he was Icarus, and she wasn't sure of anything about their relationship.

He wanted her to be okay, though. He didn't want her to die despite not knowing anything about her except her actions, and she wanted to save him despite knowing his.

"Why did you save me?" he asked.

His voice shook just a little. The question had been sitting between them for a long time.

Salome thought many times about how she would explain it to him, fretted over whether or not he would understand. She wondered if her explanation would be good enough for him or, just like the young man they met on the street, he wouldn't be able to find any meaning in her words.

It was worth trying. If anyone deserved the answer to that question, it was Icarus. If anyone could ever understand, it was Icarus.

"You remember how I had a gun?"

He nodded almost imperceptibly.

"I thought I was going down with that ship, but I wasn't fond of the idea of burning up in some fiery explosion. I found you, and I thought I might save you the same pain, but that kind of thing just isn't in me, I guess. And then, even though I had no idea how to read your face, I knew you were pissed at me for pointing that gun at you."

Salome chuckled while she ran a hand through her hair. One of Icarus' mandibles opened in a half smile. She knew he was smiling in response to her own nervous laughter, not because he thought it was a nice story.

"When you looked at me like that I realized that we were both just people caught in the crosshairs. Even if we look nothing alike, even if we grew up light years away from each other. You were a person, and I was tired of watching people die. That was enough for me."

Icarus tilted his head to rest the side of his face on his forearms.

"That's the difference between you and me," he said, voice low."I just got used to it."

"I don't think either of us made it out one piece, Icarus."

"Maybe not."

"But are you okay, even if you're not the same?"

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"Good. I need you to be okay."

He ran a talon through a strand of her hair fanned out in the pillow.

"I need you to be okay, too."

Icarus pulled himself off of the bed and readjusted himself against the wall.

"Get some sleep. It's almost seven."

Light was already starting to pour in the window. It would be darker if she turned to face the wall, but she felt better knowing that if she opened her eyes she could see him.

He had his arms crossed over his chest, chin tucked down, eyes closed. She realized she forgot to ask him what his markings meant, but knew it could wait. They had time.

Stifling a yawn, Salome closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into the bed. Sleep took her almost immediately and for the first time in a long time, no one came to visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The shuttle discussion scene was the only thing I knew I'd put in a sequel before I began writing this, but I still struggled with it. Lots to unpack there.
> 
> Anyway, I ate a fortune cookie before starting this chapter.


	6. Fireworks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, sorry about the short hiatus!

Chapter Six------- Fireworks

The morning after her attempted kidnapping was not the first time Salome had eaten day old takeout for breakfast. Grad school was a lawless time. That morning did mark the first time she and Icarus had eaten together, which she thought was nice when she chose to forget the circumstances.

It would be even nicer if he'd let her go to work.

"If they know where you live, they know where you work. It's not safe."

Salome slurped chow mein as resentfully as she could manage.

"I will literally die if I can't work," she said.

"Literally? Oh, dear."

Icarus took a long sip of whatever the hell he was drinking. It smelled like lemons and rosemary. He eyed her apathetically over the rim of his glass.

"You care not for my plight," she said.

Salome threw herself back in her chair, arm slung over her eyes as if she couldn't bear to look at him.

"I thought we were friends!" she wailed theatrically.

"I feel like preventing you from getting killed _is_ friendship."  

Salome peaked out from under her arm.

"Human friendships can be a little contrary."

"So not letting you die is...?"

"In bad taste. Socially speaking."

Icarus rolled his eyes to accompany an unamused scoff. Still, he smiled.

"I'm sorry there's not a lot to do around here. I messaged Talkos about your case. She hasn't responded yet, but she's an insightful person, good detective. I doubt she'll let the whole thing go as easily as Vakarian did."

Vakarian didn't have a lot of wiggle room to help her, so she tried not to feel too bad about his dismissal, but Icarus was oddly peeved about it. She assumed he would be able to understand the situation even better than she could, but he seemed the most upset by the whole ordeal. She decided to change the subject.

"You have Talkos' number? I thought you were in different departments."

"Yeah, it's not standard," he rubbed the back of his neck."I know her personally. She's, um, my ex-girlfriend-"

Salome stopped slurping her chow mein mid-noodle.

"-'s wife."

Salome inhaled her chow mein and sputtered.

"Sorry, could you say that again?"

"Talkos is married to my ex-girlfriend," he said.

"Isn't it awkward to work together?"

"It was at first, at little. Delri doesn't know how to perceive negative emotions, though, so she kind of forced it. Lots of dinners third-wheeling them. After a bit, it was fine."

"That just sounds awkward to me."

Icarus chuckled and took his glass to the sink.

"It was years ago. They've been married longer than we dated. Kind of feels like it's always been this way."

Salome picked up her takeout container and brought it to the garbage disposal next to Icarus.

"Well, if you're happy, I'm happy," she said.

"Really?"

Salome craned her neck to look up at him questioningly.

"Yeah? I'm mean, why would I want you-"

Her omnitool began to ring with an incoming call. It was Urlu.

"Sorry, work. Gotta take this," she said.

Salome began to walk into the bedroom for privacy.

"Don't tell them where you are," Icarus called after her.

Salome waved the back of her hand at him as a confirmation. She plopped down on the bed and answered.

"Doctor Haw, good to see you well," Urlu said.

"I'm still kicking, what's up?"

"Wondered if you were coming in today or needed me to water plants. Wouldn't have to ask if you just installed sprinkler system like suggested."

"Now's not the time to harass me Urlu. I'm trying to get over there, but my, er, bodyguard doesn't want me out and about."

"Agree with mysterious bodyguard."

"You're supposed to be in my corner."

"I am."

Urlu had an extremely irritating smile, like he knew something she didn't.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Salome muttered.

"Will water plants then."

Salome was about to give him some instructions when she heard muffled voices and a door slam open. It wasn't a violent sound, but it was definitely wasn't delicate or customary.  

"Don't water the pointy ones and make sure the red ones are really, really, wet. Got to go. You're the best."

"More corgi pictures, please."

Salome made a face at him as she hung up. She padded quietly over to the door and tried to listen closely.

"Yes, _now_ , Invictus."

Salome recognized the voice, but wasn't sure from where. The door swung open and Salome backtracked quickly to avoid getting hit. In the doorway stood Detective Talkos, behind her two more C-Sec officers and a very uneasy looking Icarus.

"Doctor Haw, you need to come with me," Talkos said.

"I really wish you'd give an explanation here, Talkos," Icarus said as he strode over to her.

Talkos looked at Salome hard.

"You were right, Invictus. It doesn't end with Daijer. Doctor Haw is in danger."

Salome's breath got caught in her throat. She wobbled a little and took a step back to steady herself. She looked up at Talkos and found the words.

"No fucking shit, Sherlock."

 

Salome knew it was bad. Kidnapping with the intent to sell a person was a bad thing, and only bad people did it. What she didn't anticipate was the many, tangled threads that wove together.

Salome sat in an interrogation room for the second time in twenty-four hours, but Talkos was inarguably better company than Vakarian even if she was as stiff as a board.

"One of the people we interrogated cracked, but it wasn't what we expected. Long story short," Talkos said before a long inhale."The sniper that fired at Matriarch Iori _was_ attempting to kill her. The people who tried to kidnap you took advantage of the attack to set up a trap at the back entrance, where they knew you would be evacuating. There were two different operations going on at the same time."

Salome could feel her blood start to boil. Whoever wanted to kill Iori was as sick as someone could get. She was one of the only politicians on the Citadel who stood fast by her integrity. She hadn't taken so much as a box of chocolate as a bribe.

"How did they know the sniper wouldn't kill use before we got out?" Salome said.

"They're probably the reason he didn't. The sniper's body was found in a shallow grave in an abandoned construction site. The bullet in his head matched the ones they used to shoot up our guys. He was a seventeen year old Quarian, no record."

Seventeen. So young.

She remember the unsettling feeling of running out of the office with her back to the window, like a knife was being held right to her spine. She was surprised she hadn't gotten hit, now she knew why. Daijer and his gang wanted her to alive.

"There's a buyer in Citadel space, beyond wealthy, and while we don't know their identity, we do know they have bought other people off of the slave market before. According to the our source, they're offering the money to whoever brings you in first. Anyone who wants that money could be after you."

"Okay, makes sense, but who sent that kid to kill Iori?" she asked.

"Don't know yet. She's safe, by the way. Wanted me to tell you she wishes she could be here for you and to stay strong."

Salome suddenly missed Iori terribly, but it was probably for the best that they stay separated. They both had targets on their backs for different reasons, and it was wise not to cross the wires.

"You're going to have to stay under constant supervision until we find the source of the bounty. We're setting up some safe houses and a security team."

That sounded awful. She'd be even more cooped up than she was before. Her head throbbed, she massaged her temples.

"How long?" she asked.

"No telling."

"Ugh."

Relocation to Eden Prime was supposed to begin within a month. She still didn't want to go, but being sequestered in a safe house was worse. She never thought she'd miss the sight of David Exton.

"How soon?"

"As soon as everything is in place, probably before the end of today."

"I need to make some calls," Salome rose from her chair.

Talkos reached across the table to put her hand on Salome's arm.

"You can't. Omnitool transmissions can be tracked, and since we don't know who's after you we should be as cautious as possible."

"But..."

Salome was racking up a very long list of people to apologize to, the first being Alexander. She couldn't just hole up for God knows how long without telling him she was sorry for brushing him off when he was only trying to help her. And she hadn't even spoken to Marianne in three days. If she got new of the attack, she would probably be tearing her hair out waiting for Salome to tell her she was safe.

"I need to tell you Invictus won't be one of your guards," Talkos said." Special Responses command is under the impression that he can't be objective in regards to your safety."

"That's bullshit."

"No comment. I need to take your omnitool."

Salome slid the device off of her arm and begrudgingly handed it to Talkos, who looked at her with just a hint of pity.

"I am sorry about this," she said.

"Yeah, I didn't think you liked to see me suffer. You seem pretty cool."

"Ah, thank you," Talkos said, looking slightly taken aback.

A crash sounded off to Salome's right. She had to slam her hands on the table to avoid the urge to crawl beneath it.

"Oh, sorry," Alexander said, propping the door open with one hand.

 "Ander!" Salome said."I need to talk to you."

"We don't have the time," he said.

"No, really. Just two minutes, please. I need to apologize for what happened."

Alexander's mouth turned up in a slight smile.

"Just tell me you've changed you mind and I'll let it go," he said.

Salome nodded vigorously.

"Good," Alexander cleared his throat."Anyway, you're shipping out in less than an hour, but there's someone here to see you. Had to pull some strings."

Salome rose from her chair with a curious tilt of her head. Alexander vacated the doorway, and Salome found herself staring into the cool, bespectacled eyes of Tatum Vendall.

"What the shit?"

"Missed you too, Sal."

 

Talkos and Alexander waited outside while Vendall took a seat across from Salome. He hadn't changed a bit down to the way a single strand of white hair over his left eye. 

Salome told him about the entire mess. He listened patiently even when she rambled or put in too much detail. Vendall was always steady and reliable. Seeing him might be just what she needed.

"I did miss you," Salome said."I just don't understand why you're here without telling me."

"Surprise," he shrugged.

Salome chuckled and raised an eyebrow. Vendall was not inclined toward surprises.

"Marianne told me about your fight," he said."I thought you might not be doing too well, and I've been looking for an excuse to check out your fancy space lab."

"And you didn't tell me because...?"

"If you even got an inkling that I was checking up on you, you'd have told me not to come."

"I hate how well you know me."

"Get used to it."

Vendall knew her as well as anyone could without reading her mind. He was good at understanding people in general, although his overall demeanor didn't even hint at that being the case. She trusted his opinion, valued his input, and given his background probably the best person to ask about her deployment.

"While you're here, can I get your opinion on the whole Eden Prime situation?"

"You should go," he said.

"That was quick," Salome muttered.

She looked down at her lap to avoid his level gaze.

"Why don't you want to go?" he asked.

"It just-it wasn't what I planned for myself. I feel like I'm getting shoved around where ever people want me and I have no say on my own life. I want to make sweet potato hybrids, and I want to see Ed and Alexander get married. I don't want to start over."

Salome fiddled nervously with her sleeve. It sounded childish, to not want to do something just because she was asked to. She hazarded a glance up at him. His expression hadn't changed, but he adjusted his glasses.

"First of all, feeling like you've lost control would be expected of anyone in this situation. You're not being a contrary or stubborn. However, I think you're grasping for control in the wrong place. Who said you can't make sweet potato hybrids on Eden Prime? Edgar and Captain Alexander don't even know when they want to get married, and I'm sure you could get a couple days off to visit them when it happens."

She sat still, silent.

"You won't get to see them nearly as much, but that's already happened with Marianne and I, and you made new friends. You'll do it again."

Vendall reached across the table and held out his hand. Salome took it after a short moment. He squeezed firmly.

"We're all still trying to find our footing after what happened, but I think you've been denying just how much it affected you. What you're feeling now might be what you've put off dealing with for the last eight months, and when you do finally come to terms with all of it, I think you'll regret not going. They couldn't have picked anyone better suited."

Tatum Vendall was the wisest person she knew, which was why she always hesitated to ask him for advice when she knew the answer might not be something she wanted to hear. The truth could a hard sell, and sometimes you needed a good friend to smack you over the head with it.

There was a tap on the door. Their time was up.

"I _hate_ how well you know me," she said as she stood.

Vendall walked around the edge of the table to wrap one arm around her neck and pulled her to him. He planted one small, uncharacteristic kiss above her eyebrow. He wasn't a physically affectionate man, but he could tell when she needed a hug. Salome wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held tight.

"Get used to it, I'm not going anywhere."

Salome heard the door whoosh open.

"Sorry, we have to, ah- um, wha...?"

Salome unburied her face from Vendall's shoulder to see Icarus standing at the door's threshold, eyes wide and mouth open.

"Am I interrupting something?" he said in a high voice.

"Life advice session," she said."I thought you weren't going to be part of my security?"

Icarus looked away from her to pick at the paint on the doorway.

"I'm not, but they can hardly stop me from walking you down to the transport station. Unless, of course, you'd like some more private time with, um..."

"Doctor Tatum Vendall," Vendall said.

Icarus' attention was drawn away from the peeling paint at his words.

"You're..." he whispered.

Vendall took a step forward and extended his hand.

"You tried to kill me once," he said."Good to meet you Sergeant Invictus. Thank you for looking after Salome."

Icarus looked like a deer in headlights, but reached out to shake Vendall's hand.

"Let's go. I'll walk you as far as I can," Vendall said, returning his attention to Salome.

Vendall led the way out of the interrogation room. Salome moved to follow him and gave Icarus a pat on the arm to jolt him out of his stupor.

They met Alexander and Edgar at the end of the hall. Salome immediately hooked them both in a group hug.

"You're such good friends," she said."The best, best friends I could ask for in a life or death crisis."

"Such high praise," Ed laughed.

"You have to get moving, Salome," Alexander said.

She pouted at him as she released them both. A couple Special Responses officers came to collect her. She continued along with everyone until Vendall, Alexander, and Edgar had to stop at the transport station elevator. She stepped into the elevator next Icarus and the other officers.

"See you on the other side, boys," she said.

She gave them a jaunty salute as the doors closed. Edgar barked his signature laugh, Alexander smirked as he raised on eyebrow. Vendall gave her a nod as if to say she would be fine.

She grinned at them until the doors were shut. After, the smile dropped from her face almost immediately.

"It'll be okay," Icarus said.

"Maybe," she sighed."But it's going to suck first."

Salome was led through a large, concrete shuttle bay to the armored van that was to be her pumpkin carriage. The officers opened up the back doors and motioned for her to enter. She hesitated, and turned to Icarus.

"I wish I knew when I'd get to see you again," she said.

Icarus blinked at her for a moment, looking just a tad confused.

"Oh my God," she said."You complete idiot. Of course I'm going to miss you, why wouldn't I miss you?"

Icarus couldn't even articulate a response through all his stammering. Salome reached up to grab the sides of his face and pulled him down closer to her eye level.

"You. Are. My. Friend."

She punctuated each word with a gentle shake of her hands. Icarus still didn't respond. His eyes were open wide, pupils transfixed on her.

One of the officers cleared his throat. Both Icarus and Salome looked at him from the corners of their eyes.

"Just a moment," she said, raising one finger.

The officer crossed his arms but said nothing.

"Why do you go so far for me if you don't think we're friends?" She asked."You know you don't owe me anything, right?"

"I don't know if that's true," he said."But I'll tell you about it when you get back. When we don't have company."

Icarus brought his hands up to hers and pulled them from his face, but didn't yet let go.

"Okay."

She had no idea what he wanted to tell her, but she was always willing to listen to his thoughts. And if she had to lecture him for hours on end until he understood that he didn't have to try and make anything up to her, then she could block out an evening or two.

For him.

Icarus let go of her hands. Salome stepped inside the van and took a seat. He smiled at her, although it looked like his mind was elsewhere. Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to smile back. It didn't feel right, she didn't feel like smiling.

The doors were shut.

The van soared through the air in the open city. There was a plan to switch the cars just in case someone was following them, but that wouldn't be for another thirty minutes.

Salome slumped in her seat. She felt like she just needed her mind to rest, take a break from all the events of the day, but her thoughts kept going back to Icarus and what he may have wanted to say to her. He was more complicated than she had previously thought, it could have been anything.

If he would stop being such a worrywart...

The car took a sharp nose dive downward.

"Woah, was that really necessary?" One of the officers said.

There was no response from the driver.

One of the officers stood up and tapped on the divider between the back of the van and driver's seat.

"You okay?" he asked.

Suddenly, the vehicle made a hard turn to the right, throwing the officer into the seat next to Salome.

"This isn't right," the other officer, a Turian, said.

"You know Phil," Salome said."You might be on to something."

"My name isn't Phil," Not-Phil said.

"Let's keep to the matter at hand," the first officer said.

Salome felt the vehicle shudder to a halt. They had landed. The Turian guard pulled Salome to her feet and had her stand between both of them. They drew their guns, the doors flew open. Another Turian in C-sec uniform  with white markings was on the other side.

Judging from what she could see, they were in a construction site, like the place they had found the Quarian sniper's body. It was definitely inside an unfinished building. The structure was mostly bare bones, and Salome could see some cars passing by through the upright steel beams.

"Yorak?" the Turian officer said."What's going on."

"Step away from the cargo, Eulis. If you help us out, I might be able to persuade the boss to give you a cut."

Eulis was silent for a moment, but he kept his gun pointed at Yorak.

"You dishonor our people," Eulis said.

"Our people sent us to die fighting them," Yorak pointed at Salome."At the very least, we can make some money off of these things."

"At the very least," Eulis began."Hold still and make this easy for me."

Eulis fired and hit Yorak in the chest. It didn't pierce through his shields but the blast threw him onto his back. Eulis stepped forward to follow him, but two more armed men appeared from the right.

"Did you really think I'd do this alone?" Yorak spat as he rose to his feet.

Eulis laughed so bitterly that it sent a chill down Salome's spine.

"No, of course not. You always were a coward."

Yorak bared all his sharp, pointed teeth at his former college as he raised his pistol at him. He was ready to kill, but nobody was going to die because of her. Not again.

Salome put all of her weight into shoving Eulis to the side. He caught himself on the van wall, but she managed to squeeze through and stand in front of him. She outstretched her arms to block as much of the two officers as she could.

"No!"

Yorak lowered his gun.

"Come with us and we won't hurt them," he said.

"Like I'd fall for that," she said with a glare.

"Then tell me, what's the plan?" Yorak asked.

That was a very good question. She didn't think that far ahead, and she was drawing a blank now that there was limited time and several guns pointed at her.

"I'm sorry we failed you Doctor Haw," the first officer said.

Salome looked over her shoulder contradict him, but saw him staring very intently at his right hand. The first officer was clutching his radio, thumb over the 'on' button. She caught his eyes and blinked twice.

"It's not your fault, Officer," she said."Who could have imagined one of your own would betray you like this?"

"This isn't betrayal," Yorak said."It's just good business."

"Whose business? Who asked you to do this?" she said.

"I don't know his name, don't care to find out."

"What if he's playing you? What if he kills you so there's no loose ends?"

Yorak laughed.

"You watch too many vids, human."

Salome had to keep him talking. If someone was listening to them over the radio she had to give them time to mobilize back-up.

"Do I? Or are you just being naive?"

"You're the one whose naive," Yorak snarled."Why do you even bother trying to organize peace between our species when you know it's a lost cause?"

"I don't believe that. I'll never believe that."

"I have no idea what the buyer even wants with you," Yorak scoffed." You look like a waterlogged Asari."

"I have my charms."

"Like what?"

Yorak had the audacity to raise a suggestive eyebrow plate at her, right after telling her she was ugly. Men.

"Oh, you know," Salome smiled salaciously.

She didn't know, she was hopeless in matters of seduction. But Yorak, stupid as he was, was right about one thing: she did watch too many vids.

"Look, I'm not too fond of the whole kidnapping thing. I'd prefer any would-be suitor to be a bit more up front."

"Kidnapping isn't up front?"

Salome laughed as genuinely as she could manage.

"You're funny," she said.

Yorak's mandibles flared in a small smile. Salome tilted her head down and looked up through her lashes.

"You might even be cute if you weren't being so mean to me right now."

"I never said looking like a waterlogged Asari was a bad thing," Yorak shrugged.

Men.

Salome resisted the urge to throw up and pouted playfully.

"But you said you didn't know why anyone would want me."

"Well, maybe I just need some persuasion."

"Take me someplace nice," she said."Where are you planning to take me anyway?"

"Warehouse in Zakara."

Suddenly, sirens wailed in the distance. Yorak's attention was taken off of her, and Salome lunged forward to grab the two doors to the van and pulled them shut.

"How come there's no lock on the inside?" she asked.

"This doesn't usually happen," Eulis said dryly.

She could hear some commotion on the other side of the doors. The sound of gunfire rang out, and Salome saw her hands begin to shake. It seemed like everywhere she went, there was the sound of gun fire.

She shook her head to keep herself from withdrawing. Eulis clasped her on the shoulder.

"Pretend it's fireworks," he said.

Salome looked up at him as her heart ached. Even a man she hadn't even known up until an hour ago was affected by what had happened at Relay 314. He knew the signs so well, he could see them in a stranger.

The first officer tugged her back to sit in her seat. They waited for a few minutes until there as a knock on the doors.

"All clear," a voice said through the metal."It's me, Nua."

Eulis opened the doors. An Asari in a C-Sec uniform smiled up at them.

"Nice job with the radio, Harold," she said."And you too, Doctor Haw. Way to keep him taking."

Nua held out her hand to help Salome out of the vehicle.

"I'm taking twenty showers," Salome said, hopping down.

Nua laughed. It was a pretty sound that made Salome want to join in, but she was abruptly grabbed by the shoulders and twisted around. Her eyes met warm brown.

"Spirits," Icarus said, looking her up and down."You're alright. I can't believe-you are alright, aren't you? You're not hurt anywhere?"

His grip on her tightened to the point of pain but he didn't seem to be aware of how tense he was.

"Yes, I'm fine. They didn't even touch me," she said.

Icarus let out a breath and hung his head in relief.

"Thank goodness. It was so hard to tell what was going on with just the audio."

"Oh, you heard that, huh?"

That was embarrassing. It was a good thing she was going to therapy, because she was going to need some help overcoming the shame.

"Yeah, we can talk about it later. Let's get you back to the station, we need to find another safe house."

"Hold on," Salome pushed away from him."Who's in charge?"

"That would be me," Nua said."Captain T'Kurik at your service."

"Captain," Salome said."Yorak mentioned that he planned to take me to a warehouse in Zakara. If we head there now, we might get a lead."

"Whoever he was handing you off to won't come out when they see a bunch of squad cars," Nua said.

"Then it should just be me and another officer posing as Yorak. We'll lure them out and then you can make the arrest."

"No way," Icarus said.

"That might work," Nua said, nodding.

"You can't be serious," Eulis said."It's too dangerous."

"I'm in danger all the goddamn time," Salome said."Let it be on my terms for once."

"I like your spark!" Nua said."But you really could die, you know. We'll need you to sign a waiver in the car."

Salome had absolutely no clue what kind of person Nua was, but she didn't seem to be completely sane. Still, the less time she spent trying to convince her the more likely the plan was to succeed.  

"Icarus," Nua said."You have white markings like Yorak, and you're our best shot with a pistol. You'll pose as Yorak with Doctor Haw."

Icarus was practically shaking with anger.

"I can't believe you," he hissed.

Nua's eyes went dark as she smiled.

"I don't care what you believe, just do as I say."

Sensing the need to deescalate the situation, Salome reached out and grabbed Icarus' arm.

"I'm doing this, Icarus. With or without you, but I'd rather have you with me."

He couldn't even look at her, but he nodded after a moment.

"I'm with you."

"Great!" Nua clapped her hands together."Let's catch some bad guys."

Nua turned away and started chirping orders at people.

"You can hate me if you want," Salome said.

"I don't hate you. That's why I'm angry," Icarus said.

Salome looked at her feet, guilty. If he had been the one to pull something like that on her, she would have been furious and hurt that he cared so little about his own safety. If he only felt a fraction of what she was imagining, then she owed him a lot more than the money for the takeout the other night.

Still, she was what she was. She couldn't sit still and let life happen to her, especially when life was keen on getting her killed. She had to do it, and he probably understood why, even if he didn't agree. She only prayed he would forgive her so being so reckless. She was counting on his kindness, his ability to forgive.

Icarus stepped away from her, and she watched his back grow smaller and smaller with distance. She felt an impulse to chase after him, even though he wasn't really going anywhere. He wasn't leaving her.

He didn't hate her. He said so. Icarus didn't lie.

She followed after him anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot happened here, hopefully it wasn't disappointing after the wait. I'm trying to wrap it up, so there's a lot of ground to cover.


	7. Time Well Spent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I'm back. The only thing I can say succinctly about my absence last week is that life got in the way of my writing time. Sorry I ghosted, please enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 7------Time Well Spent

It seemed it was Salome's destiny to be stuck in uncomfortable car rides with Icarus Invictus. In order for it to appear that she had been kidnapped her hands were cuffed, and a currently unused gag was hung around her neck. The tense silence was bad enough but the cuffs were starting to chafe. At least Icarus had promised he wouldn't gag her until they arrived. He was considerate like that.

She, on the other hand, could learn a lot from his influence. Even though it was her life and ultimately her choice to put it in jeopardy, she could no longer pretend that her decisions only affected her. Alexander would be furious, Edgar would be hurt, Vendall would be disappointed, and Icarus...

He looked like a mix of all three. She didn't know for certain because he stopped talking the second they entered the vehicle. That was fair, but she couldn't let it continue. There was too much at stake to leave anything unsaid.

"Hey," Salome said softly."I know you're pissed, and you've got every right to be. But I have to tell you something before we do this. It's important."

"If you weren't trying so damn hard to throw your life away, we could have important conversations until we're old and grey, but no. You have to pull this shit. And Captain T'Kurik!"

Icarus took one hand off the steering wheel and tossed it in the air.

"I knew she was a psycho, but I had no idea she could be careless with civilian lives. It's our job to protect people."

Watching him have an outburst over the situation filled her with guilt, but she took some deep breaths to center herself. She did want to forget anything because she was frazzled.

"Listen."

 Salome waited until she was sure she had his full attention before continuing.

"I've been trying really hard for the past eight months to find out what I want for myself in this place. I've been so paranoid that I'll never feel like I have a purpose again, that I'll never _want_ a purpose again, that I dug myself a hole I couldn't climb out of just to feel safe. I forgot what I set out to do with my life. I forgot what made me happy because I was scared I would never be happy again, and I know that sounds stupid-"

Salome shut her eyes against tears, and cleared her throat to get rid of the tightness building there.

"-but it's the truth. I miss how I used to feel on the Mendel, before everything went to shit. I miss my zero gravity garden, and how I could just float and admire how big and vast the universe is. I want to feel like that again. I want to feel immersed, fulfilled. But I can't do that if I'm stuck in some safe house waiting to be kidnapped. I know I'm being reckless, and selfish, and stupid. I know you must be so disappointed and I don't want you to hate me."

Salome couldn't stop a sob from slipping through.

"But I can't sit still and let the world happen to me anymore. I promise this is the last stupid thing you'll ever have to watch me do, but fuck, Icarus, I have to do it. I want to get better."

The car stopped. They were there.

Salome sniffled and saw her that her eyes were red in her reflection on the windshield. On the bright side, she figured her distressed appearance would help sell the narrative.

Icarus' eyes look far away. The neon lights from the Zakera shops bounced off of his plates. It reminded her of their walk to his apartment the night before.

"I understand," he said."And I want you to be happy. I just-I can't make any promises on how this will go down, and I don't want to lose you like this."

He turned his head, hands still holding the wheel, eyes pleading, begging.

Nua's voice pierced through the silence over the radio.

"Invictus, time to move. Get into character, 'kay? Maybe grab at her a little, if you know what I mean. Yorak really seemed to like her."

"She can hear you," Icarus growled.

"Hey, Doctor Haw. Tug her shirt off her shoulder or something and proceed with caution. Good luck, T'Kurik over."

"I'm not doing that," Icarus said to Salome.

Icarus leaned across the seat and tugged the gag up over Salome's mouth, apologizing. The gag was thoroughly uncomfortable clenched between her teeth, but it was loose enough to break free of if she wanted to. He exited his side of the car and pulled off the jacket portion of his uniform. He guided her out of the car and draped the jacket over her head and shoulders to make her shackles and gag harder to see, as if he were trying to hide her captive state from passersby.

The shedding of his jacket revealed a tight, black undershirt that had no sleeves. It made him look too bare for a potential firefight, and Salome felt a pang of worry in her stomach.

"Alright," he said."Try to seem like you're afraid of me."

Salome gave him a subtle nod, and he wrapped his hand around her arm as roughly as he dared before leading her to the door of the warehouse. It was a thick steel door, most likely reinforced to keep thieves out. It made Salome curious how such a place ended up as a meeting spot for slavers. Either they had found a way around the security, or the owner was in on what was happening. 

Icarus banged on the door.

"Look up at the camera," a voice said."Show us the goods."

Icarus grabbed Salome by the shoulders and pulled her in front of him. He pulled the jacket back from her head and used his other hand to tilt her chin up. A black camera lens peered down at her, and she tried her best to look frightened, but that would be acting at its finest. She trusted Icarus with her life

There was a click, and Icarus pushed the door open. They travelled down a short hall way with headache inducing fluorescent lights before entering the main part of the warehouse.

There were crates and boxes stacked around the perimeter, but the center of the floor was largely clear. Two men came out of a door on the other side of the room. They were wearing street clothes, but Salome could see the outline of a pistol beneath one of the men's' shirts. One was a Salarian and the other was human.

"Well, fuck," the human said."Didn't seem too bright in the emails, but you did it."

"No need to be rude, Jasper," the Salarian said."I'm glad to meet you under such favorable circumstances, Yorak."   

"Pleasure's mine," Icarus said.

The human, Jasper, stepped forward to take her by the arm. He tossed Icarus' jacket at him without any care where it landed.

"Did you need to gag her? Kind of makes it obvious," Jasper asked.

"She bites," Icarus said."The money?'

"Here," the Salarian held out a credit chit."Non-traceable, but don't use it all in one place."

The Salarian actually winked at him, which made Jasper groan.

"Shale, you are one creepy lizard."

Shale and Jasper. Both were the names of Earthen rocks, which was too much of a coincidence. They were codenames.

Abruptly, Salome felt Jasper's hand wander down to her waist, appraising. She stepped on his foot.

"Shit, she's a fighter. Must've been a lot of trouble."

"You wouldn't even believe it," Icarus said."Who would want something like her, anyway?"

It was wrong that Salome was admiring what a convincing performance Icarus was putting on, especially since he was currently insulting her, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't impressed. She wouldn't have pegged him as someone who was good at deception.

She also probably shouldn't be noticing how defined his biceps were in such trying times, but he was in short sleeves for once and they were right there.

"She ain't too bad," Jasper said."You probably can't tell since you like your women to look like spiky monsters. Still, 5 million is a lot to drop on one girl."

"Evidently, not all Turians are incapable of being attracted to humans," Shale said, staring pointedly at the credit chit in Icarus' hand.

 "A Turian bought her? No way." Icarus said through an incredulous laugh.

Salome tried not to let her feelings get hurt. Shale narrowed his eyes just a bit.

"Can't talk too much about our employer. You understand."

Icarus raised his hands in mock defeat.

"Of course. Not my problem anyhow."

"Right. Then our business is concluded. Or it would be, if you hadn't seen our faces," Shale said.

Jasper wrapped one arm around Salome's neck  and pulled out the pistol he had concealed in his waist band. Salome looked down at the arm around her neck and then back at Icarus with a questioning look. Icarus shrugged and nodded. Salome spat out her gag and sunk her teeth into Jasper's arm.

Jasper yelped and was distracted just long enough for Icarus to arm himself and shoot the pistol out of Jasper's hand. The plasma blast was so close to Salome that she could feel the heat on her face.

Icarus turned with his arm still straightened out and took aim for only a moment before firing at Shale's retreating figure. The shot hit Shale in the leg and sent him to the floor.

The wind got knocked out of Salome by one of Jasper's fist. She let out an airy wheeze before he tightened his grip around her neck.

"Let go of her!" Icarus shouted, point his gun at him.

Jasper maneuvered to hide most of his body behind Salome, using her as a shield. His breath tickled the hairs on Salome's neck and sent a disgusted shiver down her back.

"You're a cop, aren't you? Doesn't matter. You're gonna let me walk out of here if you don't want her to suffocate. And no biting this time, honey."

His hand covered Salome's mouth, fingers digging into her jaw so that she could no longer open it. She thrashed and struggled, hoping she could shake him free just enough for Icarus to line up shot. Her vision started to get fuzzy around the edges. She was going to pass out from lack of blood to her brain before she actually suffocated.

With as much strength as she could muster, Salome slammed the back of her head into Jasper's face. There was a deafening ring in her ears as she felt the arm around her throat loosen and slip away. Salome fell forward, but managed to catch herself with her hands before her whole body hit the ground. Instinctively, she stumbled toward Icarus.

She moved on autopilot, and didn't remember getting to Icarus, but she felt her body sway effortlessly in his arms as he carried her to the exit. She had her arms encircled around his neck. He was moving so fast that she would have held on tighter if she didn't have a very recent experience with what it felt like to be strangled.

Icarus darted toward a line of blue blobs by the entrance.

"Are you okay?"

Alexander's voice.

Salome squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. The tallest blob morphed into Alexander as he got closer to her.

"Can you stand?"

"Yup," she said.

Icarus gently lowered her to the ground. When her feet met the floor, her knees buckled and she gripped back onto him.

"Nope."

"Hey, you broke his nose!" Nua called from behind her.

Salome peaked out from behind Icarus' shoulder to see her crouched beside Jasper's body. She was lifting her head up by his hair, balancing her weight on her toes in the only spot around his head where blood wasn't pooling.

"He'd be really mad at you for that one if Alexander hadn't blown his chest open."

"Don't look," Alexander said as touched her lightly on the back."And don't listen to her. I've spent five minutes with the woman I'm ready to get her court-martialed."

"Are you mad?" Salome asked him.

Alexander massaged the back of his neck while he let out a sigh.

"Disappointed but not surprised. I felt better when I knew Icarus was with you."

"Still, you must have been worried. I'm sorry, Ander. This is the last time I try to get myself killed."

"I'll believe it when I see it. Also, save the apologies for Eddy. He's back at the station."

"And Vendall?"

Alexander crossed his arms and turned away from her to walk out of the building.

"Vendall is Vendall. No idea what he's thinking 'cause his face is broken."

"My leg!" Shale shouted.

Two medics passed by with Shale in a stretcher. He was flailing animatedly for someone in pain. He caught sight of Icarus at pointed at him accusingly.

"You shot me!"

"You sell people," Salome said.

"But we don't shoot them!"

"That'll hold up in court," one of the medics mumbled.

Shale was carted out of the warehouse. Nua materialized out of nowhere in Salome's peripheral, smile wide.

"That guy looks like a squealer," she said."We'll know who was trying to buy you before the day is done. Good work."

"Any news on Iori?" Salome asked.

"I'm not privy that information, sadly. But if you ever want to set up another sting, let me know!"

Nua walked off with a flippant wave of her hand. Salome heard Icarus growl. She released some of her grip on him to test out her legs. They still felt like they weren't connected to her body.

"There's an ambulance outside that has to check you out. Can you walk yet?" Icarus asked.

Salome shook her head, frowning at her traitorous legs.

"That's okay. I owe you a carry."

Icarus slipped an arm under her knees and supported her back with his other hand. Salome would have been upset at relying on anyone else to help her walk. She didn't like losing control, as she had recently found out. But Icarus wasn't just anyone.

His mandibles opened to reveal his pointed teeth in a wide smile. When she had first met him on the MacArthur, those teeth made her nervous. Now, she actually thought they were kind of cute. She bit off a laugh at the thought, not because it was funny that she thought he was adorable, but because life never went to plan and in the end, if she wanted to stay sane, all she could do was laugh and find joy in the ridiculousness of it all.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said.

His eyes were soft, a trace of his smile still left in them. He carried Salome out toward the flashing lights.

 

Despite a bruise forming on her neck and petechiae in her eyes, Salome was fine. She was rehearsing how to best put everyone's minds at ease as she walked back into the C-Sec headquarters. All the words she had prepared flew out of her mind when she saw Edgar.

While Vendall sat calmly at a table, Ed was standing, pacing. When she entered the lounge with a sheepish greeting and a practiced smile, he turned to look at her as a tear slipped down his face. His eyes were red and his expression was anguished. The smile fell off her face instantly as he crossed the room with his arms outstretched.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

"I was so scared, I thought they got you," Ed choked.

He scooped her up in his arms and held her tight. His embrace lifted her up off of the ground, her feet dangling while she cried into his shirt. After a while, he put her back down and began examining her for injuries while she assured him she was fine.

"Well, that's good," Vendall said, rising from the table.

The short sigh of relief he let out when he saw her was the only indication that he was worried at all.

"Vendall, I'm-"

Salome's apology was cut off by a light smack on the back of her head.

"Yeah, yeah," Alexander said."You're sorry and all that. We know."

He walked past her to put a protective arm around Ed and nuzzle the top of his head with his cheek. Alexander was evidently less than pleased that she made his fiancé cry.

The door behind her opened, and before she could turn around to see who had entered, a man slammed into her, grasping at her shoulders.

"Doctor Haw!" Exton cried."You are safe, thank God!"

Exton had beads of sweat on his forehead, and his chest was moving quickly with the intake of his breath. Salome's brain temporarily shutdown at the force of his arrival.

"Uh, Exton, hey. How's it going?"

 "How's it going?" he narrowed his eyes."One minute I was discussing gravitational propulsion with Primarch Rinex, and the next I heard you got kidnapped! So I got down here as fast as I could and demanded to know the situation only to be shooed away by an angry Turian who said, 'She's in the lounge, leave me alone.' Highly unprofessional."

 _Vakarian_ , Salome thought with a smile. She was glad to know he was consistently cantankerous, and it wasn't only her who brought it out of him.

Salome placed her hands on Exton's chest and pushed him away as politely as she could manage.

"Thank you for worrying about me. I'm fine. Also, I'd like to get some more information on my assignment for Prime. Whenever it suits you."

Exton's whole face lit up, discarding his worry almost immediately.

"Does that mean you've come around? Great! We are going to accomplish so much together."

Salome gave a half-hearted thumbs up, not yet ready to be excited about the excursion.

"How soon does she leave?" Ed asked.

"Oh, the ship leaves in thirty-six days. I'm counting down the minutes," Exton beamed.

"I'll still make it to your wedding," Salome said."Even if I have to steal a shuttle."

"About that," Alexander said as he turned to Ed."I've been thinking, Eddy. We've gone back and forth on timing for the wedding. About when is best for you, or me, or your mom. Not that I don't like your mom, but if the last two years haven't drilled in to me how fragile life can be, these last two days have. I don't think we can find a perfect time, but my time is best spent with you, so we might as well pick a day. How about Sunday?"

Ed's eyes were wide, his mouth parted. He took a step back from Alexander and ran his metal hand through his dark hair.

"You can't mean that, Andy. You don't like things to move fast, and you hate surprises. Especially ones that might upset my mom."

"Do you hate the idea?"

"No!" Ed shouted."I don't. Not at all. Fuck, I was ready to run away with you in the Academy if the circumstances had been more forgiving...I...Are you sure?"

"I've been sure of only two things in my entire life," Alexander held up two fingers."One, I was sure I wanted to be military since I was a teenager. Didn't end well. And two, you're it. You're everything. I dare you to try and change my mind."

"I'll pass," Ed said with a wobbly smile.

Alexander returned his smile in a grin that stretched from ear to ear, and was a little bit wolfish, as if he were playing the part of the classic Hollywood seducer. He reached out to curl his hand around Ed's and pulled him back toward him.

"Life's short, sweetheart. Let's get fucking married."

Alexander planted an firm kiss on Ed's lips, and Ed kissed him back as well as he could through his close lipped smile. Salome had never seen them do anything so affectionate or passionate before. The entire scene was nothing short of astounding.

She wasn't sure what to do, so she started clapping. Mercifully, Vendall joined in shortly and soon the entire lounge was applauding them. Most of the by-standers were their co-workers just trying to get some late night coffee, but they clapped regardless. Salome thought that was nice of them.

When they broke apart, Ed held his hands over his face in embarrassment while Alexander laughed heartily.

"We have to go," Ed said."I can never come back here."

"We work here."

Ed snorted as he held back his mirth. He couldn't look at Alexander without busting up. Alexander looped his arm over Ed's shoulders and turned them both toward the door.

"Keep Sunday open, Sal," he said." I hope you'll stay another few days Vendall. We'd love to have you."

"Wouldn't miss it," Vendall said genially.

The two of them left the room, still giggling. Salome almost felt like crying out of happiness. She would have thought previously that nothing could turn the day around, but there she was, grinning like an idiot. She wished that Icarus could have seen it, but he was tied up with Special Responses. In any case, she was looking forward to telling him all about it. He would be happy, too.

"Well, that was eventful," Exton said.

"I thought it was nice," she said.

" It was very heart-warming," Exton said."I'm happy for them. May I walk you home if you're free to go?"

"She's not," Vakarian said from behind them.

Salome turned to greet him and found him standing next to a human man in N7 armor. The man looked to be in his thirties, but had already begun to gain some grey in his beard. He had strong presence that drew the eye on some instinctual level.

"Doctor Haw, this is Alec Ryder. He serves as an attaché for the human embassy. He has some information regarding your case. Please follow me."

 Vakarian turned out of the room, expecting her to follow. Salome mouthed an apology to Exton and waved goodbye to Vendall. Ryder stuck out his hand for a shake as they began to move.

"Pleased to meet you, Doctor Haw. You've done a great deal for our people," he said.

Salome had never been comfortable with the idea that she was some kind of hero. In her eyes, she had simply been in the right place at the right time, floating around and yet managing to be of use.

"Anybody would have-" she began.

"No. They wouldn't have. I was on Shanxi, and I wouldn't have. But I'm glad you did."

Vakarian led them to his office and sat down behind his desk.

"First things first, you may have this back."

Vakarian slid Salome's omnitool across the table.

"Now, let's keep this brief."

"Right," Ryder said." We know who set the bounty on you. The human embassy has been looking into him, but not for because of his connection to the slave trade. He's a Turian billionaire by the name of Kriok Mesna. He doubled a meager inheritance in mining in less than a year, and has been doing the same for a decade. Not legally, to be sure. He might be embezzling from a human-owned company that partnered with him recently, that's why we had eyes on him. Apparently, he has what we'll call an _interest_ in human women. If Shale is to be believed, he developed an fascination with you after seeing you in a vid. Guy had more money than morality, so he tried to buy you."

Salome was silent for a moment, digesting the information. She almost felt like laughing from how uncomfortable she was. She felt violated somehow. Her spine prickled as if someone was watching her from behind.

"Ew," she said.

"We're sending agents to apprehend him now, you should have nothing to worry about," Vakarian said."The bounty will likely be taken down the minute he realizes we're onto him."

"So I can go home?"

"Yes," Ryder said."But I'd like to have some people watch your place for the next few days, just in case."

He wasn't really giving her an option to say no, but for the sake of her friends she didn't intend to refuse anyhow.

"Alright then," Salome rose from her seat."Thank you for everything."

She gave Ryder a grateful handshake, and then extended the offer to Vakarian as well, who seemed surprised. He took her hand anyway.

"I pray this is the last time you'll require our services," he said.

"You're just trying to get rid of me. It won't work. Say hi to the kids for me, Castis."

She left the room before Vakarian could retaliate. She walked out of the building and into the blinding perpetual daytime of the Presidium. It gave her a headache, but she was free. Not caring who was watching, she skipped gleefully down the steps and breathed in the fresh air.

"It's so nice not to be in constant peril," she said to herself.

As if on cue, a black car rolled up next to her. Salome froze and contemplated running, but when the window to the back seat rolled down, a familiar face poked out.

"Salome!" Iori said.

"Iori!"

Salome dashed up to the window to hug Iori as best she could through the small space.

"I was on my way to see you," Iori said." Come in, we have so much to discuss."

She opened the door and slid across the seat to give Salome space. Salome sat down and shut the door. The car started to drive.

"I'm so glad you are safe," Iori said.

"I should be saying that to you, Iori. Someone was actually trying to kill you."

Iori's bright blue eyes glinted with a hint of resentment. She folded her hands in her lap and spoke in a low voice.

"We found out who ordered the hit, that's the only reason I could come and see you today. I'm grateful it ended as quickly as it did."

Salome waited for Iori to gather herself enough to speak. She looked tired, and wasn't dressed as immaculately as she usually was. The last couple of days must have been hard on her.

"It was Virkis Sul."

Salome could have sworn her brain had to stop and restart.

"No way. We talked to that guy, face to face. Granted he was an ass, but wanting you dead is so..."

"Extreme? Yes, but his strong point was never diplomacy. Deadly force was all he could think of to solve his problem."

"And what was his problem?"

"He was under the impression that the only thing moving the human-Turian alliance forward was my support. He thought conversations would stop when there was no one to play referee."

It was true that Iori was a driving force in the Eden Prime agreement between the species, but the idea that she was the only thing keeping the contract going was ill thought. Sul must have been grasping at straws to stop the Turians from associating with humanity. It never ceased to amaze Salome how people could hate each other so effectively on principal alone.

"And Rinex?" Salome asked.

"He had no part in it. By all accounts, he was furious. He has more than just his reputation riding of the success of this coalition. His personal attachment to the project runs deep."

Salome remembered Rinex mentioning a daughter that died in the war. Even though he lost her, he didn't hate humans like Sul did. He only wanted to make sure no one else died fighting for a pointless cause. He was what a leader should be, and he had her respect for that.

Scooting closer to Iori, Salome rested her head on her shoulder and wrapped an arm around her.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all this, Iori. You try so hard for all of us, and you don't deserve it."

Iori put a hand over Salome's and sighed deeply.

"Thank you," she said."I confess, I was very frightened these last few days. I was afraid if they couldn't get to me, they would go after my family or Arluk. I'm just glad it is over."

"Me too," Salome said."Hey, I have a story that might cheer you up."

"Cheer away," Iori smiled.

"Alexander re-proposed to Ed in the C-Sec lounge before making out with him in front of all their co-workers, and now they are getting married on Sunday."

Iori hid a large grin behind her hand.

"You're joking," she laughed.

"Not even a little. It was a good fifteen seconds of lip to lip contact."

"That's outrageous. I love it."

"Me too. They're nauseatingly in love. I hope get that someday."

"I would be thrilled if you could find someone worthy of you, my friend. And who knows, maybe if you keep your eyes open a little wider, you will find that the world is full of more possibilities than you previously considered."

The car stopped moving and Salome looked out the tinted windows. They seemed to be up on the docking area, near the sky-car rentals.

"Are you meeting somebody?" Salome asked.

"I'm paying a debt," Iori said.

The car door opened, causing Salome to flinch on reflex. She still couldn't quite let her guard down, even beside a friend. A pair of legs was all she could see until Icarus leaned into view.

"Hey," he said."I hope you don't hate surprises."

"Depends on the surprise," Salome said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, that makes me very anxious," he said."Thank you for bringing her."

"Thank you for your help at the tower," Iori said."I trust she will be safe with you."

"Of course," Icarus nodded.

He stepped away from the door to give Salome space to exit. She looked at Iori with a question on her lips.

"Yes, we planned this," Iori said."Least I could do for him, really. And yes, I do know what the surprise is. I wouldn't take you all the way out here if I didn't know that much."

"But you're not going to tell me? Not even a hint?"

"Nope!" Iori giggled.

She shoved Salome out the door and bid her a goodbye before speeding off. Salome stood in a dust cloud, mouth agape. Icarus did a nervous dance with his feet beside her. She didn't even have to look at him directly to recognize that particular behavior.

"Ballsy Icarus, we meet again," she said.

"I honestly don't know what that means," he said.

Despite being puzzled by Iori and Icarus' mysterious collaboration, Salome found herself almost amused. He had planned something, and that was odd considering he never took the leap to try and make plans with her before. Along with her amusement, Salome was happy he was finally comfortable enough with her to be taking initiative.

"Well, um, I know this is weird," Icarus said."But there's something I want to show you."

With that, he turned and walked toward a parked shuttle. Salome found this curious because it wasn't a car, but a transport shuttle made to hold at least ten people. Still, she followed him as he opened the door and led her inside.

The hull had a row of four seats on either side, and two seats upfront, leaving plenty of room in the middle to walk. Icarus sat down in the pilot chair and Salome sat in shotgun.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Nowhere in particular," he said.

"Cryptic, I like it," she said.

She saw Icarus smile out of the corner of her eye as she buckled herself in. The shuttle took off out of the docking bay and into the surrounding space.

Salome took the time to admire the stars. It had been a while since she had seen them so clearly. She closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair, feeling strangely at peace for the first time in too long.  

There was the sound of button being pressed in switches being flipped. Salome opened her eyes to see that the shuttle had come to a halt out in the middle of nothing.

Nowhere in particular, indeed.

"So...?" Salome inquired.

Icarus had his hands clinched into fist in his lap, his eyes were wide with what looked to be fear.

"You okay, buddy?"

He nodded and cleared his throat.

"I think I told you before you left that I had something I wanted to tell you," he said, a slight tremor in his voice.

"Yes," she said."You did."

"Well, I...I want to show you something first."

He pressed a couple more buttons frantically. Salome heard something metallic move behind her. She saw a spot of light on the floor growing wider and wider. She turned in her seat to inspect when a VI spoke over the speakers.

"Gravity disabled in three, two, one," the VI said.

Her body lifted ever so slightly against the seat belt. The spot of light covered most of the shuttle's seating area. There was a click, and Icarus floated over to her, using her chair as an anchor.

"You didn't," she said.

"I might have."

Salome quickly unbuckled herself, struggling for a moment because her movements were so hurried. Once she was free, she gripped the back of her chair and pushed herself forward with a twist.

She sailed across the shuttle with her back to the floor. Above the seating area and reflected in Salome's eyes were the purple whirls and spirals of the Serpent Nebula. The skylight that revealed it to her took up almost the whole ceiling, and the view was nothing short of breath taking.

Once. She mentioned to him _once_ that she missed her zero gravity garden, and he did this for her. Surely there had to be limits to how thoughtful someone could be. He made everyone else look bad.

Maybe she had saved his life, but some people dedicated themselves to saving lives every day. It was profound, but it wasn't rare. What did she do to make him go so far for her? How had she earned such consideration?

"Come over here, you giant dork," she said.

"What's a dork?"

She fumbled to grab a nearby seat to orient herself upright and then shoved her feet against the floor. She launched herself at him and curled her arms around his neck. The force of her impact pushed him back against the control panel, but instead of catching himself, he placed both hands on her back to return the hug.

"Thank you," she said." Thank you. I don't know what I did to deserve all this from you."

"You are you," he said."That's all the incentive I need. I would be devastated if you tried to be anyone else."

She had cried twice that day already, and should have been out of tears. Yet, her eyes misted up and she clenched her jaw to keep down the urge to weep because it wasn't what she did that made him care about her, it was who she was. That was the greatest gift he'd ever given her, and ever would.

"I feel the same way about you. Don't ever act like I don't, okay?"

She squeezed him tighter.

"You are my friend."

"I know, I do," he said." I've just always found it hard to believe that you could forgive me for my part in all the madness. The fact that you could look at me without hatred or bitterness was nearly incomprehensible to me."

"I told you I don't blame you for any of it."

The strength of the impact on the control panel began to propel them in the opposite direction, under the skylight. They still held onto each other while they drifted off.  Turian weren't huggers, and she had probably crossed some kind of social boundary that she would be embarrassed of later, but he didn't let go.

"I know I'm not only what happened on that ship, and you are not either," he said, voice low."But I've done things that make me ashamed to catch my own reflection in the mirror. Sometimes, your good morning texts are the only things that get me out of bed, and I'm trying to feel worthy of you."

Salome pulled back enough to look him in the eyes. It was one hell of a confession, and one she wasn't sure if she knew the core meaning of. It was also ridiculous in her mind because he was her equal, nothing less.

"Of me? With my terrible jokes?" she said with a shaky smile.

"I like your jokes, even though I don't always get the references. I like a lot of things about you. Most things, really."

Through her hands on his chest, she could feel his heart race and the vibrations of his voice. She could tell from the way his mandibles were flush with his face that he was nervous, even scared.

Life was a funny thing, she thought. It moved so unpredictably that no one could plan for anything. Everything was different now, she was different. She had learned to roll with the punches, and she thought she might like to take a few chances as well. Perhaps explore some possibilities she hadn't considered until they were looking right at her with the most beautiful pair of eyes she'd ever seen, earnest and open.

"I like most things about you, too," she said."You could do with some more self-esteem, though."

She hit his shoulder playfully before placing her hand on the side of his face.

"I'll miss you when I leave. A lot."

Icarus closed his eyes and pressed his cheek into her palm.

"Tell me I'm worth the wait," he said.

"My time with you is never wasted."

His lids flittered open and they shared a long look. Slowly, he tilted his head forward. So slowly, she could have pushed him away if she wanted to. It was an offer, not a demand, and one she accepted without hesitance.

It felt right for the moment. For them.  

Her lips collided softly against his mouth as she sunk her fingers into the fabric of his jacket. It didn't feel like any kiss she'd had before, his lips weren't pliable or soft, but she thought contentedly that she could get used to it. And she would prove that to him as best she was able.

"Thank the spirits," he muttered against her mouth.

She couldn't hold back laughter, but he laughed too, so she figured it was alright. It was always nice to have someone to laugh with.

She rested her head on his chest and he held her firmly against him, one sliding up and down her hair. That one soothing motion and the stars above her made her enormously, ridiculously happy. Just those two things, because Icarus was right.

There was nothing wrong with simple.

 

Salome arrived at her apartment with her duffle bag and an alarming sense of calm. It was alarming because she hadn't been calm by herself in months, but she squashed down the mild panic and focused on how nice it was to see the rug she bought to match the curtains.

Ronaldo the Roomba had wedged himself under the couch again, and she tutted at his disapprovingly before dragging out him to freedom. His little wheels whirled hurriedly in the air as she inspected him for damage.

"I'm glad you didn't spill anything on yourself like last time," she said."Also, I kissed an alien who is also one of my best friends. How was your day?"

His wheels continued to spin, and Salome took that to be some kind of congratulations.

"Thank you, I like him a lot. "

She set Ronaldo down and he scurried off into the kitchen, bumping along the bottom cabinets in search of dust. She never had to replace the duct tape Elliot had put on him two years ago. It held strong, held him together. Salome walked over the fridge and pulled out a beer as she watched him work. She leaned against the counter and took a long swig.

"I know you're not her," she said."I know she's not here, and that she's not coming back. But you're helping get passed how much that hurts, so thanks little guy. You've got her spunk."

Salome tipped her bottle forward in an imaginary toast and walked off to her bedroom. She sunk into her cozy chair and pulled up the contact list on her omnitool. The call rang for a moment before the recipient answered.

"Hey, Mari."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh heck, a lot of romance in this chapter. My blood sugar spiked when I wrote Alexander and Ed's scene. Thoughts? TBH when I started writing this I wasn't sure if I wanted to make it explicitly clear that Salome and Icarus get together, but it just kind of flowed that way. You guys probably saw it coming, but hopefully it wasn't too predictable. 
> 
> Next week is the final chapter! Thanks for reading this far, it means a lot to me <3


	8. Blank Canvas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I LIVE. So, so sorry about the hiatus, everything in my life decided to happen at once. Please enjoy the final chapter!!

Chapter 7---------Blank Canvas 

His eyes were cold at first. As if the ground beneath him wasn't good enough to support his lofty weight. He hated every molecule he came into contact with, and all because of where he was headed.

Kriok Mesna would have been unseemly if he hadn't dressed like a millionaire. Salome couldn't tell if he was tall or short because of the way he hunched himself over to avoid the flash of the cameras. After being apprehended, he was transported to the Citadel to be held until his trial. Vakarian was certain he would be convicted of something. He was knee deep in syndicate crime.

Salome was across the street, hood over her head and leaned over a guard rail. Icarus stood behind her, but rested one hand on the rail next to her elbow. It was a protective stance, but she doubted that he did it consciously.

Mesna turned around for just a moment at the top of the steps to C-Sec headquarters. He looked  across the sea of screaming reporters in a baleful glare.

Salome tugged her hood off and shook out her hair. She grabbed onto the guard rail and climbed up. Icarus wrapped one arm around her waist just in case she fell, but he didn't stop her.

Mesna's body tensed up. His cuffed hands curled into fists. His eyes turned were fiery. He was angry at her, like it was her fault he was there. If he had an ounce of self-awareness or responsibility than he wouldn't have looked at her like that.

It was completely expected, but disappointing at the same time.

She hopped down from the rail, pulling her hood back up. She began to walk off, and Icarus followed.

 

The marks on Salome's neck faded two days later. She inspected herself in the bathroom mirror for any sign of the distress she had undergone, but found no trace of it. She appeared well rested for once.

A message sounded on her omnitool from Iori.

_Good luck today!_

Salome texted a thank you back. Iori was busier than ever, but she still remembered what day it was. She was a rare sort, and Salome felt lucky to call her a friend.

She ran a brush through her hair as she peered through the bathroom door into her bedroom. Icarus was sitting up then, blanket bundled at his waist. He shut his eyes as he let out a yawn before blinking in the bright sunlight.

The action was almost cat-like, and very cute.

"Do you want me to wait for you in the lobby?" he asked.

Salome put down her brush and walked over to her closet.

"I'll be okay," she said, pulling on a cardigan."I don't know much about psychiatry, but I doubt she'll make me relive anything traumatizing on the first day."

She turned back to him and belly flopped on the bed.

"Besides, I need to practice a little independence. If I can't learn to stable on my own, then what's the point?"

"There's no need to take it to the extreme so quickly."

"One day by myself in a psychiatrist's office is extreme?"

"Not usually, but you do have a reputation."

Salome grabbed one of the many pillows scattered on the bed and swung it into his side. The pillows were for Icarus, since he couldn't get comfortable without the extra support. He could have gone home after dinner, but that wouldn't have been conducive to cuddling. Salome had discovered within the last two days that he was a physically affectionate person, but had too much self-restraint to let that show in casual relationships.

Icarus pulled on the pillow and by association, Salome, toward him. She allowed her head to fall on his thigh and gazed up at him while he pushed the hair out of her face.

"No desk flipping or elevator jumping," he said.

"Or lamp grabbing or hostage taking," she added.

They both snickered what had to be the worst inside joke to ever exist. She popped up and got out of bed.

"Time to rock n' roll," she said.

Icarus tilted his head in confusion at the reference, but didn't ask her to clarify. It seemed he was alright with there being an air of mystery to Salome's speech patterns. He rose from the bed and donned the jacket he left folded on her chair.

"Fun fact," Salome chirped."On Earth, leaving a home that isn't yours in the same clothes you wore last night is called the 'walk of shame'."

"That's kind of awful," he said.

They had agreed to keep their relationship under wraps for the time being, although they were currently being less than subtle. The only people who needed to know were her closest friends, and his if he wanted.

Marianne had been surprised to say the least. Salome had spoken to her for an hour about everything she could think of before breaking the news. Mari stared at her for an eternity before simply saying, _"Alright, but if I hate him I'll let you know."_

That was all she could ask, really.

Icarus had no idea what he was up against, blissfully unaware of the reservations Marianne had toward him. He was nervous enough to meet her as it was, and that was just because she was one of Salome's old friends.

Salome cradled his face in her hands as he loomed over her, neck bent to meet her reach. He pressed his forehead against hers in what was essentially the Turian version of a kiss. The sound he made was reminiscent of a purr, and she hadn't yet learned how to completely suppress the giggle of joy the noise brought out of her.

"Ready to rock and roll?" he asked.

"Born ready, baby," she said.

"I am a grown man."

"Sorry," Salome said flatly."I'm to go to now, adult."

Icarus looked pensive for a moment.

"Actually, I liked it better the other way," he said.

"I am going to talk shit about you in therapy."

On her way out of the building, Salome found a note taped to the door. Management sometimes removed the notes before she could read them, and she wasn't sure if that spared her pain or if it put her in danger by not knowing what was written. The note was not addressed to anyone, so Salome could not say for certain that it was meant for her, but it would have been nice if it was.

_I'm sorry_

It said nothing else, and if it was for her, she was alright with that.

 

"You know what I resent?" Ed said.

Salome had just entered his and Alexander's apartment when he confronted her with the question. Papers were strewn about in every direction, and she had no idea what they were for. Upon closer inspection, she could see different kinds of bouquet styles on the sheet nearest to her.

"The idea that gay men are good at planning things," Ed continued."Doesn't matter what it is. Baby shower? Ask a gay man, he'll know what to do. My own mother tried to get my opinion on quinceañera dresses for my sister when I was a teenager. Why don't you ask Meghan, mom? She's the one turning fifteen!"

Ed collapsed exhaustedly on the sofa before propping up his chin with his hand, smiling at her placidly as if he hadn't had a minor breakdown.

"So how was therapy?"

"Uh, fine. She didn't ask me about my relationship with my mother, so it wasn't what I expected."

"Did she ask you how things made you _feel_?"

"Several times," she smiled, picking a paper off of the floor."Is Alexander helping you with all this? He better be."

"Hold on, he just got home and he's in the shower," Ed leaned over the back of the couch."Andy! Should we have roses or lilies for the center pieces?"

"Roses!" Alexander shouted back.

Ed righted himself on the cushions and grinned nonchalantly.

"We're having roses for the center pieces," he said.

Ed didn't care about the center pieces. Ed was just excited to get married, and he fully intended to throw a wedding together in five days with or without color coordination.

"You know, he only picked roses because he isn't sure what a lily looks like," she said.

"Yes, and I love him."

"I talked to Urlu about the venue. He said he can make it happen even with the short time frame. The owner owes him a favor, apparently."

"That scares me a little bit, not gonna lie."

Ed and Alexander were getting married at the human embassy, which was the Citadel version of a court house wedding. Urlu, through means no one wanted to know, was securing the green house at the Galactic Museum of Horticulture for the reception.

"Did Ander ask you yet?" Ed said.

"I don't know what that means, so I'm going to say no," Salome replied.

Ed chuckled menacingly which caused Salome to take a step back in apprehension.

"Don't freak her out," Alexander said, emerging from the bedroom.

His hair was damp and he wasn't in uniform for once. Salome could honestly count the number of times she'd seen him in plain clothes on one hand.

"So," Alexander said as he stiffly took a seat on the couch next to Ed.

He patted the spot next to him, avoiding eye contact. Salome sat down slowly, looking at Ed for some clue he wouldn't give her.

"Salome," Alexander began."We haven't always seen eye to eye, but I have always respected and appreciated the way you approach things. You are one of the most genuine people I know, and I'm glad you like me enough now to call me your friend. I'm sure you'd let me know by now if you didn't, so, ah, would you be my best woman?"

"Of course, you absolute idiot!" Salome said as she tackled him.

"She only called you a idiot because she's emotional," Ed said, reaching out to pet both of their heads.

"I know," Alexander said, voice a little high."I think you're an idiot, too, Sal."

"Thank you so much, that means a lot," Salome sniffled.

When they first met, he was always agitated about something. Always looking for something to nitpick, not caring about how he made others feel because he had a job to do, and all he wanted was to do it right. She would realize in hindsight that his standoffishness was rooted in the fact that he didn't care if people liked him so long as he could keep them safe. It took Ed coming back into his life for him to understand that safety was not relished unless there was happiness to accompany it.

That was why he called her a hypocrite in the stairwell. She wanted so badly to see him be happy, and she wouldn't give him the same privilege because she refused to admit she was losing her grip.

"Thanks for looking out for me, Ander. I'm trying to be better now."

His smiled was wistful, but she could tell he was glad to hear her say it. He knew it would be hard for her to come to terms with everything that had happened. He'd been there, he was still there. But they had both reached the same conclusion. It wouldn't control them or shape them anymore than it already had.

"Aren't we all?" he said.

 

It was a stare down to rival any old western classic.

Salome stood in the middle of the greenhouse that Urlu had secured through methods that may not have been entirely legal. In her hands, she held a vase of roses and baby's breath. In her heart, she held a wish that Marianne would not make her boyfriend cry.

Marianne Downey had taken the next flight off of Earth to attend the wedding of her former superior officer and a man she'd met once. Her loyalty would have been commendable if she didn't have the ulterior motive of seeing if Icarus had some kind of ulterior motive for dating Salome.

Icarus was in his Special Responses uniform. He was spending his lunch break helping Ed and Salome put up decorations for the reception.

"That's so nice of you," Marianne said." How long is your break?"

"Um, I can stay for an hour or so," Icarus said, looking at the floor.

Marianne was standing five feet away from him, pretending to smooth wrinkles out of a table cloth. Icarus was like a deer in headlights, afraid to move while she interrogated him.

Salome was idling in between the two of them, unsure how to proceed. Marianne was going to be a little rough around the edges, that was part of her personality, and most people would come to realize that soon after meeting her. Icarus wasn't most people, though. He internalized criticism like it was his day job.

"These roses look awful," Alexander said."Why did you let me do this to us?"

Ed stroked his chin appraisingly.

"I like them. They remind me of you somehow," Ed said.

The reception was taking place in the middle of the greenhouse on a swath of paved stone that usually housed benches for visitors to rest on. It wasn't a large space, they didn't need it to be, but it was exceedingly beautiful. Most of the shrubbery around them was in bloom, and tree tops could be seen in the distance. It smelled heavenly, although it was a tad humid.

"We really can't thank Urlu enough for this, it's perfect," Ed said.

"Oh, he's getting his reward," Salome said.

She tossed a look over her shoulder. Through the glass of the greenhouse Salome could see Urlu out in the lawn with Nina, her old roommate. Nina was kind enough to bring Buttons the corgi to visit her biggest fan. Buttons was flopping on her back in the grass, soaking up the attention. Salome could tell Urlu was talking a mile a minute at Nina, who was nodding and smiling.

Nina was the goddess of temperance, and Salome knew that better than anyone.

Salome turned her attention back to Marianne and Icarus. Marianne had moved closer to him, her arms crossed. Icarus had to crane his neck to meet her eyes, but it was obvious that she held the psychological high ground.

"Three older brothers, huh? Must have been tough," Marianne said."So what do you like about Sal?"

Icarus made a noise in the back of his throat no human could have.

"Um, well, I..." he trailed.

"Shouldn't it be easy to pick out what you like about her?" Marianne said.

"I'm attempting to be concise," he replied.

Marianne's narrowed eyes widened. She looked borderline impressed. The gears were still turning in Icarus' head as he stumbled over another response.

"Hair?" he said.

"Hair?" Marianne echoed.

"Yeah. It's fluffy."

Salome felt a blush rise to her cheeks. It wasn't an eloquent compliment, but she was so different from him physically that it was reassuring to hear he liked something as foreign as her hair.  In any case, she had allowed the exchange to go on long enough. Marianne wasn't going to get what she wanted to hear from Icarus. It wasn't Icarus she was worried about.

"Mari, come help with this vase," Salome said.

Marianne looked at her like she'd grown another head, seeing as Salome was holding but a single vase. She relented when she realized Salome was going to keep staring at her intently until she did as she was asked. Hesitantly, Marianne placed her hands on the vase and they stood still, neither making to move.

"He's fragile," Salome said, in a whisper.

"Doesn't he kill people for a living?" Marianne retorted.

"Did he give up having emotions for a S.R. badge? No," Salome said.

"Okay, okay," Marianne relented."He's a little less crusty than I imagined."

"Crusty like Urlu is slimy?" Salome said.

"It's probably a good thing I'm here to see them for myself," Marianne agreed.

Salome covered Marianne's hands with her own and sought her eye contact.

"He's a good person, and he's good to me. Maybe I'm a little unstable, but I don't just let people walk all over me."

Marianne's brow creased.

"I'll admit, he seems nice. But the history, Sal. The _history._ You've been put through the wringer, more than anyone here. How can you not be angry?"

That question was what triggered their previous argument. Salome had not replied entirely honestly, but she did not intend to make the same mistake.

"I'm not angry, that's the truth. But sometimes I resent how quickly I've had to adjust, and mourn what it's cost me."

"I'm angry," Marianne said."I think I'll always be angry, and I realize now that I projected that on you. I don't understand how you've managed to come to terms with it while living here, reminded of what happened every day, all the time. I don't understand that, but I shouldn't have said it like I did and made you feel alone."

"Thank you," Salome said."I'm sorry I hid how much I was struggling. I know you could see it, I know I worried you."

"You can talk to me, always," Marianne said softly.

"And I will," Salome promised.

They hugged around the vase. Marianne sneezed from the pollen.

"Okay, everybody!" Ed shouted."We have two hours at the most to throw together the least fashionable, most eclectic wedding reception in not only the history of mankind, but the history of the Citadel as well. And by God, blood, sweat, and cheap wine, we will we do it. All hands in, team!"

The occupants of the greenhouse met in a circle and threw their hands in a pile. Icarus rested his hand atop Salome's, grinning proudly at the fact he knew what to do.

"Let's do this!"

 

 

Despite several key aspects of her life changing in the last week, Salome's core beliefs held strong.

"All I'm saying is," Salome said over the rim of a champagne glass."Eight months and no sushi is cause for a civil complaint."

"On what planet?" Marianne asked incredulously, but with a smile.

"This isn't a planet, it's a space station. Different rules."

"Uh-huh."

The reception looked exactly as expected. Very slapdash, and a tad bit unsightly. It was for the best that the natural light pouring in from the greenhouse's glass was dimmed by the evening.

The wedding itself was a blink and miss it moment, and the entire affair lasted only half an hour. Ed's mother and sister had flown in, and two old friends from the Academy by the names of Jason and Liland came as well. Ed cried first when he saw Alexander in his suit, which made Salome cry. Alexander shed a single tear throughout the ceremony, and it was when Ed whispered something to him before their first kiss as a married couple.

Salome would never ask what he'd said. That was between them.

If they hadn't been C-Sec officers, they might have been given a citation for shouting, _"Guess who's fucking married?"_ at the entrance to the embassy. 

"You know," Marianne said." I always thought Alexander had a thing for you."

Salome inelegantly spat out her champagne.

"Are you the worst judge of character in the history of the world?" Salome said.

Marianne shrugged, and chuckled as Salome cleaned herself up with a napkin.

"Well, whatever. I'm happy for him. Even though he was a little bit of an ass to me."

"You can just call me a complete ass, it's fine," Alexander said.

He and Ed had been making their way around the room, greeting the guests. Iselda, Ed's mother, had taken up the most time between her hugging and picture taking. Ed's sister had gotten into a conversation with Talkos, which was almost impossible considering how reserved she was. Talkos' wife, Delri, hung off her arm, peering up at her wife with a starry expression.

Delri was short for an Asari, even shorter than Salome, but she had a loud voice that carried well even in a crowded room. Any time Salome heard her speak it was some kind of praise or compliment directed at whoever was in her view. She even applauded the rose center pieces even though everyone knew they clashed terribly.

"I'm not going to call you a complete ass on your wedding day, Captain Alexander," Marianne said.

"Neither of us are military anymore," Alexander said."So there's no need to call me captain, Officer Downey...shit."

"Old habits," Marianne smiled.

"He's actually Captain Alexander-Alvarez now," Ed said, not-so-subtly holding out his left hand to show off the gold ring that adorned his fourth finger.

Marianne admired the ring amiably.

"You just love the letter 'A'," Salome said to Alexander."What's your middle name?"

"Lloyd."

Salome spat out more champagne. She made eye contact with Icarus from across the room, talking with Vendall next to the drink table. He titled his head to the side to ask if she was alright. Salome nodded and gave him a big smile.

"He barely takes his eyes off you," Marianne said.

"He's nervous," Salome said.

"He's kind of sweet, I guess. Don't know how you'd kiss him, though. That seems important to me."

"I've got it under control," Salome waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"God," Marianne rolled her eyes."I hope you don't think I'm being judgmental. You want to date a lizard? Okay. No bad vibes from me. I just didn't see this coming, and he's not at all what I thought you'd go for. I mean, you did say you liked it when he laughed, and how he brought you coffee. And I think you mentioned something about his eyes once, and that he carried himself in an attractive way-Jesus Christ!"

Marianne covered her face with both her hands and let out the most restrained primal scream Salome had ever heard.

"You've had a crush on him for _months_ and I had no idea. I'm a horrible friend!"

Salome wrapped her arms around Marianne and swayed to the piano music that played over the loud speakers.

"Hush now, my dear," Salome said."It snuck up on me, too."

"What's this?" Vendall asked.

He and Icarus had made their way over to the rest of the group, Icarus staying a little ways back. It would take him more than one evening to get out of that habit, she knew.

"Consoling," Salome said.

"Are you sure?" Alexander asked.

"Sal, my flight leaves tomorrow, so this is the last you'll see of me for a while," Vendall said."Could I have a dance before I go?"

"You don't dance," Salome said.

"I make exceptions for old friends."

Vendall held out a hand and Salome took it. They went to the dance floor, and he led her in a simple waltz.

"I haven't done this in years," Salome said.

"I guarantee it's been longer for me," he said.

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

"I'd really hate to be the one bastard not dancing at a wedding."

He gave her a twirl.

"You're going to do great things," he said."I know it."

His confidence in her was one of the most reassuring things in the world to Salome. Vendall was, and always would be, a man that had her upmost respect.     

"Surely you know I adore you, Tatum," she said.

He said nothing, but smiled.

 

Vendall left shortly after their dance, giving his best to Ed and Alexander before disappearing into the night. It was very Vendall.

The party was winding down, and Ed and Alexander began the last dance of the night.

"You know what's coming," Alexander said with a grin while pulling Ed onto the floor.

The speakers played an old song, a classic. The first few notes got a short cheer out of the human guests, who had heard it played before at such gatherings.

_Some day, when I'm awfully low,_

_When the world is cold,_

_I will feel a glow just thinking of you,_

"You are so predictable," Ed said."Such a romantic."

"Yeah? Well, I heard you have a huge crush on me."

Ed hung his arms around Alexander's neck and pressed their foreheads together.

"Only because I told you so," Ed said.

_And the way you look tonight._

Marianne had been pulled off to dance with Liland and Jason in a three person slow dance. It was not elegant by any means, but she was laughing in a way she never did around strangers.

Salome was glad to see her carefree. It had taken them an hour long talk to air everything out. Salome had kept a lot from her, not entirely by choice, but she needed to apologize properly and she did. Of course, and apology was worthless if she didn't intended to better her ways. She promised to take better care of herself, and to be more open.

All in all, it was a better way to live.

"Is this a famous song?" Icarus asked.

"Yup, famous singer, too. Frank Sinatra. Wanna dance?"

Salome could see the conflict on his face. He did want to, she suspected, but he would be more comfortable with less of an audience.

"How about we go see the ferns?" she said.

Before he could answer, she dragged him off into the depths of the greenery. The path was paved in stone, but the density of the planted foliage obscured the party from view almost immediately. Once she was satisfied that they were alone, she turned back to him.

"Okay, how's this?"

"Dark," he said.

Salome was about to snark something back, but he place his hand on her back and bowed at his waist to rest his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm glad we're alone," he said through a sigh."But I like your friends. Marianne is scary."

Those seemed to be two conflicting statements, but Salome was distracted by the weight of him against her, his hand splayed against her back.

_Lovely, never, never change,_

_Keep that breathless charm,_

Salome wrapped her arms around his neck and began to sway side to side. It wasn't proper form by any means, but dancing didn't have to be.

"Is this how Turians dance?" Salome asked.

"Not this close," he said."I don't think most of us would call this a dance."

"What would they call it?"

"Inappropriate."

"Only the ferns can see us," Salome chuckled."I hear they're good at keeping secrets."

_And that laugh, wrinkles your nose,_

_Touches my foolish heart,_

"The ferns can tell whoever they want," Icarus said.

His breath tickled the hairs of her neck.

"Are you sure about that?" Salome asked.

She had to ask. He had to be sure.

Icarus stood up straight and moved his hands to her arms, griping firmly. Even in the dark, she could feel the seriousness of the stare.

"Salome Marie Haw, you're not what I expected to find, but you're exactly what I want."

Her heart lurched at the declaration. She was suddenly keenly aware of herself, and didn't know how to react beyond allowing tears to flow again, for the billionth time. She pushed them back.

"You remembered by middle name?" she joked.

"Don't deflect with humor, you always do that," he said gently."And I like that you can find humor in things, but I would also like for us to just be open and honest right now. We won't be able to see each other for months, and I need to know if I'm what you want."

Open and honest was something she needed to work on. It would be a good time to start, but it was hard. It was uncomfortable, went against the grain of her personality. Distilling things to their most pleasant, easy to swallow elements was something she did all the time. It made things smoother, but it wasn't always the truth. How many people really knew her, then, if all she could admit to was lightheartedness?

A week ago, she walked through life wishing she could be transparent. She wouldn't have to deflect, or explain. People would expect less of her.

But then who would she be? What would be left of her?

 It would be easier, but she couldn't call it living. It was painful, but profound to be truly seen.

Icarus didn't want people to watch him dance, but he didn't have a care in the world if anyone saw him dance with her. He knew being with her was like standing at the base of a hill nobody wanted him to climb, but he picked her over the expectations. He looked at her long and hard, saw more than most ever would, and picked her.

"Didn't I tell you that you're worth the wait?" Salome said, cradling his hands in hers.

He tugged her toward him, thumb running over her knuckles. She followed his guidance without hesitation. He wrapped her up in his arms tight, even though the party was a short distance away. He wasn't nervous for once. She wasn't scared.

"Tell me one more time."

_'Cause I love you,_

_A'just the way you look tonight,_

 

The sunsets on Eden Prime were the most spectacular Salome had ever seen. She was glad she came, even though she missed everyone. She spoke with Marianne daily, Ed and Ander sent her an old fashioned post card from their honeymoon. Iori promised to visit, Salome had no doubt she would keep that promise. Vendall asked her about her yams. They were doing well.

Ronaldo continued his quest to vanquish all dust and grime, at the great expense of accuracy and timeliness. Exton was enthusiastic, but professional. She may or may not have slipped up and called Icarus her boyfriend once. It was an honest mistake.

Icarus had been promoted just like Vakarian had mentioned. He took Nua's spot, and she got sent elsewhere. Her absence was also due to a promotion, which miffed Salome, but Icarus was thankful to be rid of her presence no matter the circumstances. Vakarian was apparently the same as he always was.

Her cultural lessons weren't always met with eagerness, even though people came of their own volition. Still, some were curious, courteous, and gave her hope for the future.

The build was going smoothly thus far, minor hiccups only. Soon, Eden Prime would be the colony humanity had worked toward since the creation of the Systems Alliance. She had only a small role in the grand scheme of things, but it was a role she was proud to play.

The sun had fully set, and Salome had nothing else to occupy her time. She bundled herself into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. She reached over to the bedside table and turned off the lamp. Darkness enveloped her instantly. Eyes open, eyes closed, it was pitch black all the same. A blank canvas for her old ghost to come and decorate, but no one claimed opportunity.

Her omnitool beeped. Icarus, always thoughtful.

_Sleep well_

She did.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all folks. Hopefully that wrapped everything up well. This whole series is now 80,000 words, which is an entire novel and I am humbled and grateful that anyone read this to the end. Special shout out to my dearest Gaudi who always leaves in depth and encouraging reviews. Couldn't have done it without you. I appreciate every comment and every kudo, you all are amazing. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are the wind beneath my wings.


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